SCAN holds maiden summit on port charges

In a bid to finding a lasting solution to cost of doing business at the nation’s seaports and vessel diversion to neighbouring ports, the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria (SCAN) is set to hold a summit on port charges.

In a press statement made available by the President of the group, Yusuf Babalola, the summit tagged,  “Port charges: how plausible?” which Is expected to hold on the 15th of March, 2018 in Lagos is to find solutions to myriad of challenges confronting shippers, terminal operators, clearing agents, importers, Port regulators and other stakeholders operating in the nation’s maritime sector.

According to Babalola, the summit is borne out of series of complaints by operators, regulators, Shippers, clearing agents among other stakeholders in the shipping industry over exorbitant charges that they said is fuelling diversion .

Babalola said, “Stakeholders have lamented that the port sector is already sagging in the absence of appropriate pricing, billing inaccuracy, unfriendly port environment and cargo insecurity.

“The association therefore decided to hold a summit to address the various issues confronting shippers, terminal operators, clearing agents, regulators and other stakeholders especially charges that have stunted the growth of the sector ever since the port concession of 2006.

Babalola further stated that the objective of the summit is to make Nigerian seaports attractive to cargoes owners, private investors, thereby making it the hub of shipping activities in the sub-region. The summit is also expected to open the port sector for jobs, eliminate corruption and illegal charges at the seaports.

“It is observed that about 90 percent of vessels berthing at  Benin,Togo, and Ghana ports are cargoes destined for Nigerian ports, but inability to get our charges right have made Nigeria lose her cargo traffic to smaller ports in West Africa,” Babalola also added.

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