Speaking with the NigerianTribune exclusively, a customs agent Izuchukwu Obasi, explained that some importers have joined the bandwagon and moved their cargoes to neighbouring countries due to unnecessary shipping charges shipping lines slam on Nigerian bound cargoes.
According to Obasi, “In 2016, the shipping lines first came with a new charges called government and port taxes. They were imposing the charges on importers, and many had no coice other than to pay, even though some of our clients complained to us.
“The government pretended as if it was not aware of the new charges until some Customs brokers raised the alarm through a petition to the Presidency. Everybody now started talking about it and journalists started reporting it.
“That was when government was forced to come out and say it is not in support of such charges. The Nigerian Orts Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) now denounced it, but the shipping line did not stop collecting it. In fact, it is still being collected till date and everybody is just going about as if all is well. My brother, all is not well. Importers are being extorted in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
“As if that is not enough, in 2017, the shipping lines came again with another charges. This time, they labelled it Ports Additions Destination (PAD) charges. What kind of charges is this? They were collection this charges like almost three months before some agents again raised the alarm by leaking it to the press.
“Before the PAD charges was exposed to journalists, government agencies saddled with the regulation of charges pretended as if they were not aware. Nigerians were being ripped apart right under the nose of our own government by foreign shipping lines.
“A 20feet container destined for Nigeria was paying additional N38,000 aside all the other charges usually paid before. For a 40feet container, importers were forced to pay N76,000 before their cargoes were shipped to Nigeria. All this was going on under the new PAD charges and our government pretended as if they were not in the know.
“Until some agents addressed some journalists and it became news item in the media, that was when government agencies came rushing to agents, appealing to them to remain calm, that negotiationsare ongoing with the shipping lines to stop the new charges. That was in themiddle of 2017.
“The year is coming to a close now and the shipping lines are still collecting the PAD charges plus the 2016 government and port taxes, alongside other normal charges importers pay before 2016. Many importers are already looking at a new levy in 2018 because it is fast becoming a yearly ritual. New year comes with new shipping charges for Nigerian importers. The situation is that bad.”
Also speaking with the NigerianTribune, the Spokesman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Kayode Farinto confirmed that the PAD charges is still being collected. In his words, “importers are still paying the levy and nobody seems to be talking about it again. We just hope government does something about this.”
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