In preparation for the commencement of the collection of the Practitioners’ Operating Fees (POF) as directed by the Federal Ministry of Transport, the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) will today begin visitation of the Freight Forwarding Association Secretariats to demonstrate for them how to generate the POF invoice and make payment .
In a letter addressed to the Chairmen, Board of Trustees (BoT) and the Presidents of the four Freight Forwarding associations namely; National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), National Council of Managing Directors of Customs Licensed Agents (NCMDLCA), Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN) and the National Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators (NAFFAC) by the Registrar of CRFFN, Sir Mike Jukwe, the exercise commences with NAGAFF today in Lagos.
The letter read thus,” I have no doubt that you would have received the Ministry’s letter directing us to immediately commence the collection of the Practitioners Operating Fee referenced T.4604/S.2/T2/260 dated 14th of July, 2015.
“Kindly find herewith attached the publication in the Nation newspaper edition of yesterday, 21st July, 2015 for your perusal. Please, ignore it and direct your members to commence payment without further delay but not later than Friday, July 31st.
“We will come to your Lagos Secretariat to demonstrate how to generate the POF invoice and make payments next (this) week as follows: NAGAFF- Monday, 27th July at 11 am, NCMDLCA- Monday 27th July at 3pm, NAFFAC –Tuesday, 28th July at 10 am and AREFFN Tuesday, 28th July at 2pm”.
The letter advised the various association leaderships to invite all their national officers, chapter officers nationwide as well as other members to be in attendance asking them to reply the letter urgently to confirm the arrangement.
Meanwhile, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) had been tactically exempted from the list of the freight forwarding associations to be visited for this exercise as the association was not mentioned in the letter as a possible place to be visited by the CRFFN.
Although no reason was given for this omission but Primetime Reporters discovered that it may not unconnected with the ANLCA’s opposition to the collection of the fees which saw it going to court to ask that its members should not be coerced into paying the said fee.
But investigation has shown that the Federal Ministry of Transport had directed all the Shipping Companies and terminal operators not to release any consignment o any freight forwarder under any guise except on the provision of evidence of payment of the POF.
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