The Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), has listed conditions to waive further port charges on cargoes that came in during the yuletide period.
Recall that the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) had urged terminal operators at the seaport to exempt cargoes that came in during the yuletide from additional port charges following congestion issues hampering port operations.
Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune exclusively, a senior official of STOAN who craved anonymity wondered how terminal operators are expected to cope with the task of operating the port terminals if they are being asked to waive charges on some set of cargoes.
According to the STOAN official, “Don’t forget that we have already paid a Lease fee to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). Aside the Lease fee paid, we also paid cargo fees as cargoes come in. The NPA will collect full payment for those cargoes that came in during the yuletide, so why should terminal operators waive further charges on the same cargoes that NPA will collect payment for? How do people expect the terminal operators to recoup those monies paid to government if charges are being waived?
“The reason for congestion, aside consignees not coming to pick their cargoes, is on the part of government for not fixing the port access roads.
“If government wants terminal operators to waive further charges on yuletide cargos, then payments made to government as cargo throughput fees should be slashed or waived for the same period under review.
“Terminal operators incur huge wage bills just to run the ports. We spend so much to power the ports with huge generators. Each operator has thousands of workers on salaries. If we keep waiving charges, how does government want us to meet our huge overhead cost?