…. as agents, truckers accuse MSC shipping of illegal charges
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has restated that its policy on empty containers is still in force, warning that it will not renew licences of shipping firms that do not have adequate holding bays from January 2022.
NPA stated this in reaction to complaints by clearing agents and truckers that most shipping firms still lack adequate holding bays for empty containers while they are made to bear the demmurage implications running into billions of naira.
Recall that the agents had threatened to withdraw their services from the nation’s port over extortion, imposition of illegal charges and high-handedness by the shipping firms.
Speaking at a meeting conveyed by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRRFN) to avert the strike action in Lagos on Friday, Coordinator, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders ( NAGAFF) 100 percent Compliance Team, Ibrahim Tanko, said available holding bays for dropping empty containers are inadequate, hence the shipping companies have resorted to using trucks as holding bays while also charging demurrage on the containers.
Chairman, Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Chief Remi Ogungbemi, said containers are often laden on trucks for months while looking for space to drop them.
Ogungbemi accused Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) of imposing illegal charges and unreceipted fee of N85,000 on truckers to drop empty containers at its holding bay.
According to him, the littering of empty containers on the streets and Lagos roads was as a result of lack of adequate holding bays by most shipping companies.
He said, “Returning an MSC empty container costs N85, 000 which they will collect from you at the holding bay before they will receive the empty container. This is an unreceipted money. We can no longer continue with this extortion.
“When the freight forwarders give us load to carry inside the container and after discharging the content of the container, the policy says return the empty container to the holding bay but it is unfortunate that they claim to have these holding bays but when you get there, you will discover that almost all the holding bays are filled to the brim and the trucks will start roaming all around and in the process of roaming about, Lagos State government agencies will tow the truck and slam them with fee of N200, 000 to N300, 000 depending on the mood of the officers. It is unfortunate that most of the shortcomings of the shipping companies are being laid at the doorstep of the truck owners.
“Go to every nook and corner around Ijora, Apapa, Amuwo Odofi, Eric Moore, you will see trucks carrying empty containers littering all over the places.”
Responding, Principal Manager in charge of Operations, NPA, Mrs Stella Oladiran, who represented the General Manager, Operations assured that the management will investigate into the allegations of extortion but noted that NPA has refused to renew licences of some shipping companies for failure to provide empty container holding bays.
She said to renew the licence of shipping companies, they have to show evidence of empty container holding bays that is commensurate with the vessels they bring into Nigerian ports.
“It is very important that we have functional holding bays. They (shipping companies) do not want to spend to provide holding bays. As a management, anywhere there is a loophole, we will try and do the needful.
“It is a good thing that this issue is coming up again at the end of the year because by January next year, they (shipping companies) will be coming for renewal of their licences. When they come for their licences, we know what to do. If we refuse to honour their licence and refuse to give them Ship Entry Notice (eSEN) to bring vessels, they will seat up.
“Earlier this year, for more than one month, we refuse to give Electronic Ship Entry Notice (eSEN) for all vessels bringing containers to shipping companies because of issue of holding bays and even right now most of all these shipping companies we have refuse to renew their licence because of the issue of holding bays.
“So, the law still exists that every vessel bringing containers into the country must take at least 60 percent of whatever they bring in as they are leaving.
“It is because of this issue of empty container policy that NPA decided that it must enforce the issue of holding bays and all the shipping companies including MSC, Maersk line were mandated that they must remove all the empty containers in the terminals. So the law is still there, we are still enforcing it.
“We are on your side but at the same time we have to dialogue,” she told the agents and truckers.
She, however, urged the truckers to educate their members as some deliberately stay on the port corridor to get customers in order to rush back to the port.
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