Compliance teams of freight forwarders as metaphor for timidity of regulatory agencies

It is now a tensed atmosphere as freight forwarding associations have taken it upon themselves to perform the role of government regulatory agencies.

Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) have all inaugurated task forces to evaluate the performances of terminal operators, shipping companies and the likes 

It is even worrisome as one of the associations threatened to shut down a bonded terminal if it fails to put things right.

Some have argued either ways over the establishment of such task teams but one thing is derived from this action of freight forwarders, the regulators have failed in their roles.

If the regulators had done the necessary things, there wouldn’t have been need for associations to usurp their roles.

It is not news that the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) is fast asleep in discharge if its roles.

Even when the case was reported to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, no action was taken. This is a pointer to its weak regulatory power.

In a nutshell, freight forwarders have taken over the Nigerian ports regulatory roles.