… says high operational cost responsible for hike in terminal charges

The Founder, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, has appealed for calm from freight forwarders amidst the recent increase in storage and handling charges by terminal operators.

Aniebonam in a statement on Thursday said the increment by the terminal operators became necessary due to high cost of operation occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.

Speaking, he said, “The truth of the matter is straightforward and unambiguous for us to understand that their operational costs have increased thereafter the removal of oil subsidy. Therefore, the urgent need for them to break even as business enterprises cannot be overemphasised.

“We regret the avoidable rivalry between the two major freight forwarding associations in Nigeria to see reasons to close ranks and work together for the common good of the greater numbers of freight forwarding practitioners in Nigeria —-: NAGAFF and ANLCA

“Worse still is the wobbling and fumbling of the council for the regulation of freight forwarding in Nigeria to meet up with their regulatory functions. At the other end the Nigeria shippers Council whose mandate is to protect the interest of the shippers at macro level may be shying away from its statutory responsibilities.

“The inadequacy from this background provides a greater opportunity for the terminal operators to operate freely as business enterprises whose ultimate goal is to maximise profit.”

Aniebonam tasked the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to call an emergency meeting of the stakeholders and the terminal operators to seat and work out a competitive price increase that is reasonable and affordable.

“This may be the way going forward to avert the looming unrest in the customs ports by the freight forwarders

“Whatever it may be, it is my belief that this is the time for sacrifices and hard work if we must come out from the present economic hardship in our country. I therefore appeal to freight forwarding practitioners to exercise restraint and cooperate with the government authority to broker the unrest for the peace of the ports.

“Dialogue, consultation and communication are the ways going forward in conflict resolution and other violence. It is also very important that terminal operators should always seek approval of increase on charges from the appropriate authority in the transportation ministry and due consultation with the stakeholders. We share their difficulties like any other in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Aniebonam has called on the Comptroller General of Customs to ensure that appropriate customs duty assessments on imported goods follow standard operating conditions.

According to him, it appears that imports into Nigeria are being over valued by Customs in the quest to meet revenue targets.

He said, “The quest to meet revenue targets may be the remote cause other than the pursuit for trade facilitation and compliance to import and export regulations. It is my hope that with the lifting of the ban on the 43 items that the compliance level shall increase in making declarations for customs purposes.”