The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has written to the Management of the Ports and Terminal Multi-Services Limited (PTML) to protest the attachment of the ownership of customs license as a condition to issue access card to those intending to do business at the terminal.
In a letter addressed to the Managing Director of PTML by the Legal Adviser of the association, Barr. Fred Akokhia and copied to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and 7 others, NAGAFF stressed that the development was not acceptable in law and to it for the that a freight forwarder whose business cuts across Customs formalities did not need a Customs license to carry out his or her business.
It maintained that those who own Customs licenses were first and foremost freight forwarders and were only confined to the Customs formality segment of the logistic supply chain referring the MD to Section 19 (1) (2) and Section 28 of the CRFFN Act.
NAGAFF therefore advised the PTML Management to liaise with the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria on the true status of freight forwarders vis-à-vis port operations adding that by their restrictive policy on access to their terminal, they would be disenfranchising its members who had been legally given the right to operate in any port or border station in Nigeria.
The letter read,” We write this letter to you to express our concern on the above subject matter. Our members who are bona fide members of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) and by extension duly registered to carry out their businesses in any seaport, airport or land border in Nigeria have come to the headquarters of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) to intimate us of the new onerous conditions you recently introduced at your terminal which makes it mandatory for Customs licensed companies to present seven representatives with a payment of N10,000 (Ten Thousand Naira Only) per person in order to be allowed into the terminal.
“We do not have issues with your policy on the issue of Access Cards to those who want to do business in your terminal. What we have our problem with is the idea of attaching the issuance of these access cards to the ownership of a Customs licence. We say categorically that this is not acceptable in law and in fact to us in that a freight forwarder whose business cuts across Customs formalities does not need a Customs licence to carry out his/her business.
“Those who own Customs licences are first and foremost freight forwarders and are only confined to the Customs formality segment of the logistic supply chain. For the avoidance of doubt Sir kindly refer to Section 19 (1) (2) and Section 28 of the CRFFN Act (Copy attached for ease of reference).
“We strongly advise that you liaise with the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria on the true status of freight forwarders vis-à-vis port operations. We state once more that by this your restrictive policy on access to your terminal you will be disenfranchising our members who have been legally given the right to operate in any port or border station in Nigeria. All a freight forwarder requires in this regard is the CRFFN Identification Card which authenticates his/her membership of the CRFFN as a regulatory Agency of Government with regard to freight forwarding profession in Nigeria.
“We advise that your policy should be rejigged to include bona fide freight forwarders as soon as possible in order to avert a possible break down of law and order in the ports. The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) is to provide you with the register of freight forwarders of Nigeria. NAGAFF is a duly registered member (Association) of CRFFN.
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