The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has alleged plans by the terminal operators and the shipping agents to increase charges at the ports.
Speaking in a press release signed by the National Publicity Secretary (NPS) of ANLCA, Dr. Kayode Farinto, the association recalled that while in one of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed before ports concession stated that the stakeholders must be carried along before any increase in charges was made, it believed that any increase of charges for now would not be in the interest of the country considering the state of the economy as well as the continuous drop in the volume of imports into the country.
The statement further said that the association would not support any intention by anybody shipping agents and terminal operators inclusive to increase any charges now adding that ANLCA would not hesitate to withdraw its services from the ports if the increase in charges were effected.
“The association is aware of the intending increase in charges both by the shipping agents and the terminal operators. One of the MoU of the port concessioning is that stakeholders/agents must be carried along before any increase in charges. We believe that any increase in charges for now can definitely not be in the interest of the country considering the state of the economy and the continuous drop in the volume of imports.
“ANLCA will not support any intention to increase any charge by the shipping agents/terminal operators and we will not hesitate to withdraw our services from the ports if the increase is implemented”, the statement read.
Meanwhile, efforts to get the reaction of the spokesman of the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Mr. Bolaji Akinola proved abortive as all the calls placed across to him by our correspondent was not answered.
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