The Shippers Association of Lagos State (SALS) has said contrary to media reports that it was calling for the scrapping of the International Cargo Tracking Note (ICTN) introduced by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), it was the beneficiaries of the old system that were calling for the scrapping of the document.
The Shippers who made their position known in a press release they issued in Lagos on Thursday through their President, Rev. Dr. Jonathan Nicol and was obtained by Primetime Reporters stated that all they requested from the NSC was a guarantee that the Shipping lines would not renage in the payment of the Administrative charges in future as they did in Mocwa deal.
According to the release,” The position of the Shippers Association Lagos State is clear. Give us a guarantee that the Shipping lines will not renage in the payment of the Administrative charges in future as they did in Mocwa deal. A letter showing that Shippers will not pay the administrative charges in the future is enough.
“At the moment, Shippers are weary to load their cargo because the clear position of ICTN is still unknown. There should be calm in the Industry. Shippers Association Lagos State is not in any conflict with the Nigerian Shippers Council.
“We appreciate the support of all Stakeholders in the Industry and wish to inform them that our nation will be better if some Nigerians stop falsification of cargo throughput. The Nigerian Shippers Council as Ports Economic Regulator is to fix prices that must be honoured by all. We strongly support their struggle to retrieve excessive charges paid by Shippers in all debit Notes raised by the Shipping Lines and their Agents.
“The amount asked for by the Council is indeed not commensurate to the volume of money paid to the Shipping Lines for the past 25 or more years. We shall ask for an increase as a matter of fact. With ICTN the clearing process through Customs will be simplified.
“The beneficiaries of the old system are the ones clamouring for the scrapping of ICTN and not the Shippers Association Lagos State”.
The Association went on to list the benefits of the ICTN to include that it would checkmate under declaration of the high and mighty in the Industry, stop falsification of Ship’s manifests as well as dictate the actual cargo tonnage of each vessel adding that the correct cargo tonnage would be manifested to break the back bone of the well organised crime of cheating the Nigerian Government.
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