As the truckers operating in the Nigerian maritime industry called of their over two weeks withdrawal of service following the restriction of their movement to between the hours of 6.am and 9.pm within Lagos state by the Lagos State Government, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has appealed on the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to reduce its berthing fees and royalties payable to it by the terminal operators within the period of the withdrawal of service.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the National Publicity Secretary of ANLCA, Dr. Kayode Farinto, the association explained that the appeal became necessary as it was the only condition upon which it would have the moral justification to appeal to terminal operators and shipping agents to reduce their demurrages as well as storage charges on cargoes trapped at the ports within the period of the truckers’ action.
ANLCA further called on the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to open discussion with the Management of NPA on the need for it to waive or reduce the berthing fee of vessels that berthed at the Nigerian ports in the last 3 weeks as well as reduce the royalties payable to it (NPA) by the terminal operators.
It added that only when that was done would ANLCA have the courage and moral justification to appeal to both the shipping agents as well as the terminal operators to review downwards the demurrages that accrued on the cargoes and storages on the part of the terminal operators.
It reads,” The Truck owners have been on strike for over two weeks now. The pressure was pulled on them and they have decided to go back to work. If we must appeal to Shipping Agents and terminal operators to see how to waive demurrages and storages on consignments in the ports, then Nigerian Ports Authority too should start thinking of how to be part of it by reducing her various birthing fees and royalties paid by various terminal operators.
“If NPA can do this, then the various shipping agents and terminal operators can be appealed to see how to alleviate the suffering of the masses and the importers whose cargoes have been trapped in the ports for some weeks.
“The Nigerian Shippers’ Council should as a matter of urgency should begin talk with the Management of NPA on this subject matter. NPA needs to waive/reduce the birthing fees of vessels in the last 3 weeks and at the same time reduce the royalties that terminal operators will pay to her.
“ANLCA too will then have the courage and moral justification to appeal to both shipping agents and terminal operator to bring /review the demurrages that accrue on the cargoes and storages on the part of terminal operator”.
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