NAGAFF calls for calm over increase in port charges by shipping companies, terminal operators

NAGAFF calls for calm over increase in port charges by shipping companies, terminal operators

Founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, has urged maritime stakeholders to remain calm and carry out their businesses in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.

He gave the charge following what has been described as arbitrary increase in port charges by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), shipping companies and terminal operators in recent times.

The respected freight forwarder also lamented the avoidable rivalry between NAGAFF and ANLCA, the two major freight forwarding associations in Nigeria to see reasons to close ranks and work together for the common good of the greater numbers of freight forwarding practitioners in the country.
He berated what he described as “the wobbling and fumbling of the council for the regulation of freight forwarding in Nigeria to meet up with their regulatory functions” adding that at the other end, the Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC) whose mandate is to protect the interest of shippers at the macro level may be shying away from its statutory responsibilities.
In his address titled: An Appeal For Calm in the Customs, Ports Over Arbitrary Increase of Port Charges by Shipping Companies and Terminal Operators 2023, he said the inadequacies from these background provides a greater opportunity for the terminal operators to operate freely as business enterprises whose ultimate goal is to maximise profits.
“The truth of the matter is straight forward and unambiguous for us to understand that their operational costs have increased after the removal of oil subsidy and therefore, the urgent need for them to break even as business enterprises cannot be overemphasized.
“What shall be most appropriate at the moment is for the Nigeria shippers Council to convene an emergency meeting of stakeholders and terminal operators to seat and work out a competitive price increase that is reasonable and affordable.
“In the interim whereas this idea may manifest the urgent need to stop the arbitrary increase becomes inevitable on the part of the Nigeria shippers Council to act and direct accordingly. This may be the way going forward to avert the looming unrest in the customs ports by the freight forwarders.
“Whatever it may be it is my belief that this is the time for sacrifices and hard work if we must come out from the present economic hardship in our country. I, therefore, appeal to freight forwarding practitioners to exercise restraint and cooperate with the government authority to broker the unrest for the peace at the ports,” he stated.
He maintained that dialogue, consultation and communication are the ways going forward in conflict resolution other than violence, adding that it is also important that terminal operators should always seek approval of increase in charges from the appropriate authority in the Ministry of Transportation and due consultation with the stakeholders.
“We share their difficulties like any other in Nigeria. On the sideline the Comptroller General of Customs is being called upon to ensure that appropriate customs duty assessment on imported goods follow standard operating condition. At the moment it seems that imports into Nigeria are being over valued for customs purposes.
“The quest to meet revenue target may be the remote cause other than the pursuit of trade facilitation and compliance to import and export regulations. It is my hope that with the lifting of the ban on the 43 items that the compliance level shall increase in making declaration for customs purposes,” he said.