NPA Urges Customs to Auction Overtime Cargoes at Port

By ZION Olalekan

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Friday, implored the Nigeria Customs Service to auction all overtime cargoes at the ports in order to discourage looming congestion.

The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala Usman, gave the advice while addressing key stakeholders at a meeting in Lagos.

Responding to concerns raised by some terminal operators that the service has not auctioned any cargo at the port in recent times, Usman urged customs to step up efforts at auctioning overtime cargo on time in order to discourage importers from turning the port into storage facility.

She also called on importers and owners of such cargoes to remove their consignments with immediately effect.

Recall that the Apapa Area Command of the service recently raised alarm over thousands of overtime cargoes at the Lagos Ports Complex.

Continuing, the NPA boss called on terminal operators, shipping companies, port managers and other stakeholders to do all they could to eradicate or at best mitigate the effects of the present congestion at the nation’s seaports.

“The issue of ports congestion should be of concern to all and therefore they should look into the issue of evacuation of empty containers, increase in free days of storage, wavering of demurrage for a definite period of time, creating a window of some period to accommodate the concerns of importers, etc.

The Managing Director told the Stakeholders that the meeting was convened incompliance with a directive from the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman, Ease of Doing Business Council, Professor Yemi Osinbajo on the need to find lasting solution to the issue of ports congestion.

She further noted that government is desirous of ensuring things done more smoothly, thus NPA will do everything possible to facilitate trade in the maritime sector.

The M.D. noted that the Authority would encourage shipping companies to patronize other ports outside Lagos, particularly Onne Port.

Hadiza further informed the terminal operators that among the efforts NPA has made include the use of barges to move cargoes to Ikorodu, collaborating with other stakeholders to construct access roads in Apapa, encourage Dangote Private Jetty Project, promote Intermodal Transportation System etc.

The Managing Director appealed to the service to step up efforts at auctioning overtime cargo on time in order to discourage importers from turning the port into storage facility.

Speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Princess Vicky Haastrup of the ENL Consortium, said that the measures being taken by the Federal Government will affect their revenue negatively.

Many operators present also expressed similar concerns.