The National President, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Mr. Lucky eyes Amiwero has written to President Muhammadu Buhari over the intended entry permit fee to be enforced on all truck drivers operating in the Western Ports by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) describing it as a duplication of fee that is already covered in the ports concession agreement.
Amiwero in the letter which was copied to the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and three others said the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) which was already embodied in the Delivery Charges (DC) is paid either by the importer, licensed customs agents or transporters on cargo operational rate contained in the lease agreement.
According to him,” The operational rates of the lease agreement to terminal operators includes rate for cargo due and delivery charges, which includes the following; the charges is paid by the consignee: The cargo dues is paid in USD and Delivery Charges are paid in Naira. There is a VEP (vehicle Entry Permit) and Tally Sheet &TPR (Tenure Parking Rate) charge per truck entering into the Port premise.
“The Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) and Tenure Parking Rate (TPR) is embodied in the Delivery Charges paid by the Importer/ Licensed Customs Agents on behalf of Transporters. The payment is duplicated by Nigerian Ports Authority to Transporters entering the port that has been accommodated in the Delivery Charges (DC) paid by the Consignee (Importer, Licensed Customs Agents and Transporter). Copy of the operational rate and the Delivery Charges of (VEP) vehicle Entry (TPR) permit and Tenure Parking Rate is attached and marked appendix 1”.
He noted that he transporters were authorized by the licensed customs agents to Load the goods from the Ports on their behalf and forward them to various destinations based on the contract of carriage that covered the goods from the port to destination.
He therefore called on the Federal Government to intervene and stop what he called the duplicated collection on VEP and TPR and to refund the ones collected back to the transporters who were acting on behalf of licensed customs agents.
“We hereby request the Federal Government to intervene and stop the duplicated collection on Vehicles Entry permit (VEP) and Tenure parking Rate (TPR), and refund the once collected to the Transporters who acts on behalf of Licensed Customs Agents”, he said.
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