NES: Reduced Import Duty on Vehicles Harmful To Nigeria

On Wednesday, The Nigerian Environmental Society (NES) kicked against the reduction of import tariff for used vehicles.

NES President, Dorothy Bassey told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the policy was antithetical to good environment and would turn Nigeria into a dumping ground.

The federal government recently implemented the reduction of import tariff on used vehicles and tractors from 35 per cent to 10 per cent to lessen the cost of transportation.

Bassey spoke against the backdrop of the quest for an improved environment all over the world, with the use of technology.

According to her, the import duty reduction will encourage the importation of environment-unfriendly vehicles.

She added that this would worsen climate change with heavy gas emission while unserviceable vehicles would litter the environment as wrecks.

Bassey said new vehicles were better but, electric cars were more efficient than the regular ones.

She decried the slow rate of technology acquisition and transfer in the real sector; saying production processes could be made more environment-friendly by the use of sensors.

Citing a case,  She noted that the use of monitors on endangered animals would help to arrest environmentally destructive situation particularly where there was high degree of animal poaching.

The environment expert called on Nigerians to embrace energy-saving devices to sustain the environment for posterity through the use of technology.