Outrage as foreign shipping companies increase charges in Nigeria’s seaports

Stakeholders in the Nigerian maritime sector have condemned the increment in charges by foreign shipping companies at the nation’s seaports.

It would be recalled that foreign shipping companies, had issued a circular, dated October 28, 2016, notifying port users that they will start collecting N38,000.00 charges on all containers at the ports. The shipping companies labelled the charges as government & port taxes and started implementation in December, 2016.

Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune exclusively, the Founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Chief Boniface Aniebonam stated that the increment further indicates that the country is in a ‘banana’ republic.

According to him, “the greatest problem in the port is non compliance to import and export regulations. Laws made in the maritime sector are made to be broken.

“The N38,000.00 charges introduced by the shipping companies shows that we are living in a banana republic where there is no regulation. In other climes, some people cannot just wake up and do things in that manner.

“When the port was concessioned, it was done for some things to change. Among those things is the billing method. The billing method must be profiled and approved by the Transport Minister. “The terms of contract are well spent out and the NPA and even the National Assembly has roles to play to ensure things are properly being done, but yet things are not properly being done. We cannot continue this way.”

Also speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, the President of the National Council of Managing Directors Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero bemoaned the sudden increment in charges by the foreign shipping companies.

“Shipping companies have no right to increase charges. Shipping companies don’t have terminals or operate one, so why would they increase charges.

“The carriage of goods by sea was domesticated under the United Nations Contract of Carriage Convention on Carriage of Goods by Sea (Ratification and Enforcement Act) 19 of 2005.

“Under this law, the responsibility of the carrier for the goods covers the period during which the carrier is in charge of the goods at the port of loading during the carriage and at the port of discharge.

“For the Purpose of paragraph 1 of this article, the carrier is deemed to be in charge of the goods: From the time he has taken over the goods from the shipper, or a person acting on his behalf, or; an authority or other third party to whom, pursuant to law or regulations applicable at the port of loading, the goods must be handed over for the shipment; Until the time he has delivered the goods.

“The provision of the law authorise the carrier to hand over the goods to the consignee at the port of discharge without any cost, as all cost are embodied in the freight paid by importer based on the law.

“Any other charges introduced by the shipping companies, contravenes the provision of the Convention of WTO Articles VIII 3(b). The domestic laws and regulation, the practice constitutes very high percentage of charges that is not tied to service, which is a contributory factor to the High clearing cost that necessitate the diversion of Nigerian bound Vessel to neighbouring West African ports”