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| Ms Ada Akpunonu, Vice-Chairman, ANLCA, Tin-Can Island Chapter |
A freight
forwarder, Ms Ada Akpunonu, has urged
the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, to convene a stakeholders’
meeting to address challenges including the delays suffered in positioning
containers for examination.
forwarder, Ms Ada Akpunonu, has urged
the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, to convene a stakeholders’
meeting to address challenges including the delays suffered in positioning
containers for examination.
Akpunonu, the Vice Chairman, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents
(ANLCA) made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
in Lagos.
(ANLCA) made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
in Lagos.
She said that
a major problem facing freight forwarders was the delay in positioning
containers for examination at the terminals.
a major problem facing freight forwarders was the delay in positioning
containers for examination at the terminals.
“Booking for
your container to be positioned for examination has become too cumbersome.
your container to be positioned for examination has become too cumbersome.
“Before this
time, agents could book their containers to be positioned for examination and
make payment after the exercise, but that has changed.
time, agents could book their containers to be positioned for examination and
make payment after the exercise, but that has changed.
“The
terminal owners have made it compulsory that you make payment first before the
examination, not minding the delay it is causing.
terminal owners have made it compulsory that you make payment first before the
examination, not minding the delay it is causing.
“As it runs
into upward of seven days, demurrage mounts and you have to pay it both ways;
that is, to the terminal owner and to the shipping company.
into upward of seven days, demurrage mounts and you have to pay it both ways;
that is, to the terminal owner and to the shipping company.
“For trade
promotion, the Federal Government, through the transport minister, should look
into the port concession agreement because services ought to be better than
what we get today,’’ Akpunonu said.
promotion, the Federal Government, through the transport minister, should look
into the port concession agreement because services ought to be better than
what we get today,’’ Akpunonu said.
She said many
freight forwarders had moved their operations to neighbouring countries as a
result of the increasing cost of doing business in Nigerian ports.
freight forwarders had moved their operations to neighbouring countries as a
result of the increasing cost of doing business in Nigerian ports.
Akpunonu said
if the problems were not resolved immediately, it could force more people to
move to neighbouring countries where their ports had become highly competitive.
if the problems were not resolved immediately, it could force more people to
move to neighbouring countries where their ports had become highly competitive.
She urged the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to live up to its responsibility as
the ports economic regulator to make the nation’s ports competitive.
