Traffic gridlock over petrol queues
Lagos to begin collection in July, as FG slams N1000 fee on motorists for vehicle ownership verification
Federal Government has slammed an annual fee of N1,000 on vehicle owners for procurement of a Proof of Ownership Certificate (POC) verification.
This is also as the Lagos State Government is set to commence collection of the fee from July, this year.
Permanent Secretary, Lagos Ministry of Transportation, Abdulhafiz Toriola, who made this known during a press conference, Tuesday, said the certificate will help owners and the government to guarantee the integrity of all vehicles registered on the National Vehicle and Identification Scheme (NVIS) database and track car theft and recovery of stolen vehicles.
Toriola further listed other benefits of the POC charge to include that the states motor vehicle documents could easily be verified regardless of the issuing state; safety and security of vehicles and their owners, enhancement of National Vehicle database for national security and for planning and economic development.
According to Toriola, Lagos State will commence the collection of the fee for POC from motorists beginning from July 2023, even as he added that the annual Proof of Ownership Certificate (POC) is in line with compliance with legal requirement fundamental to transparency, security and accountability within transportation network.
“To this end, the Federal Government has introduced the issuance of annual Proof of Ownership Certificate for all registered vehicles.
“This certificate will serve as official documentation of a vehicle’s legal owners upon successful completion of the necessary requirements and procedures.
“The POC will contain vital information including the vehicle’s registration details, such as, license number plate, model, year of manufacture in addition to owner’s name and address.
“Having critically reviewed the challenges encountered in ensuring promotion of Safety and Security of lives and property through the issuance of POC nationally and especially in our Dear State, the Joint Tax Board in its communiqué issued at the end of the emergency meeting held on 9th May, 2023 adopted and made a resolution that proof of ownership certificate (PoC) be issued to motorists on an annual basis nationwide,” Toriola said.
The Permanent Secretary said the initiative was in accordance with the National Road Traffic Regulation 2012 as amended, No. 101, Vol. 99; Section 73- (1) which states that: “There shall be Proof of Ownership Certificate for all registered Vehicles’. Section 73- (1-6) also added that ‘The commission shall establish and maintain a Central Data Base for Vehicles and drivers for the federation.”
