Clearing agents, operators spoil for war over 4bn demurrage charges

ABIOLA Seun |

Customs brokers plying their trade at Lagos ports are on a collision course with terminal operators and shipping companies over the N4billion demurrage accrued from the recently shelved strike by truck drivers.

For six days that truck drivers shunned lifting of cargoes at the ports, over 4bn accrued as demurrages and storage charges which must be cleared by importers.

Investigations revealed that N668m demurrage was incurred daily for the duration of the strike which translated to N4billion.

This has therefore resulted to a running battle between clearing agents and importers on one hand and the service providers on the other.

While the clearing agents are calling for waivers over the strike period, the terminal operators remained indifferent.

According to a Manager in one of the container terminals in Lagos, the terminal operators will collect the demurrage accrued during the period under review.

Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko, the Vice President, Western Zone of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), appealed to the shipping companies and terminal operators, on behalf of other freight forwarders, to grant them waivers on accrued demurrage.

He declared that the strike action was not the making of Customs Brokers, hence the need for the service providers to grant demurrage waivers.

However, the service providers have different thought. It was gathered that they may insist on the collection of the disputed charges.

“Is it our fault that the containers are incurring storage and demurrage. It is not the fault of the importers but the fault of the importer’s representative. Clearing agents are representatives of importers and not terminal operators nor shipping companies. Why are we bearing the cost of someone else’s action don’t forget we are in business looking for profit? That is why we are here”, a manager in one of the terminal operators declared.

The source also disclosed that rather than the agents forcing the waiver down the throats of operators, the government should engage them.

“Why didn’t government call terminal operators, shipping companies to a meeting and give concession to cargo owners and we tell them that since we are also going to pay our lease like we use to pay every time, they should give us concession so that we can give others concession. If government is not giving us concession why are we giving other people concession?”

“If people are saying truckers went on strike because of the roads, they incur demurrage and all that, it is government that is supposed to be discussing with us because if not, everyone can go on strike and they will ask us to give them waivers we can’t do that,” he said sternly.

Reacting, the National Publicity Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licenced Customs Agents (ANLCA), Joe Sanni, has asked clearing agents not to pay the demurrage accrued to terminal operators and shipping companies during the strike period.

In a press statement made available to journalists, Sanni said Barr. Hassan Bello, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, promised to visit terminal operators and shipping companies on how to reduce the storage and shipping demurrages.

Sanni who quoted the Chairman of Tin-Can Island chapter of ANLCA, Segun Oduntan, said in a meeting with the shippers’ council boss, he promised to intervene.

He said, “Coming out from the meeting with shippers’ council, the chief executive will be going out on Monday to the terminals and shipping companies to tell them why they have to waive and refund if they collect any during the strike.”

He however charged clearing agents not to make further payments to on demurrage to terminal operators or shipping companies.

“My professional colleagues, you may wish to pay and collect refund or wait until Monday. We are forcing the NSC boss because the operators didn’t waive anything for the strike period,” Sanni quoted Oduntan on Friday.