To me, the postponement was not done in good faith; it was done because of the election.
Even if the government starts implementing the policy now we stakeholders will work against it because the new vehicles they said would be built in Nigeria has not been seen, we have not seen any one the road so how would they plan to make importation unattractive when the substitute is not even ready for use.
Joseph Atoloye
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My opinion is in line with the general opinion of the masses of this country. That policy is against World Customs Organisation (WCO) rules that say countries should not be particular about revenue generation that we are not talking about trade facilitation and fast tracking.
They want to annihilate the middle class from owing vehicle in this country. The government said the bedrock of this policy is for Nigeria to start producing its own car but everything they promise to put for the vehicles to be on ground is still not on ground.
The indices are not on ground, then when the projection has failed, what is the rationale for implementing the policy in the first place? Because if you implement, it becomes draconian.
Davis Kanikwu
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The shift in date is the best thing the government has done. The policy is not yet yielding the desired result because the vehicles they said we want to be assembling or even manufacturing are not yet on ground.
Especially with the current state of the economy, it will be counterproductive for the government to introduce this policy because it will lead to the diversion of vehicle vessels to neighboring country and smuggling will increase.
The policy will only encourage smuggling and this will be at the disadvantage of Nigeria’s economy.
Akodu Damilola
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The shift in date is a welcome development because it will allow importers and clearing agents get themselves prepared ahead for the implementation.
But, on the long run the policy will discourage many Nigerians from buying fairly used cars and also affect the jobs of clearing agents who depend on clearing used vehicles. It will throw most of them in the already choked labour market.
I think, in my own opinion government should give the policy a five-year plan that will allow the local manufacturers get their act together and we will be able to make headway instead of hurriedly implementing it.
Sandra Chukwuyere
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