Holding bay: Maersk enslaves Nigerian Shippers with additional charges

Maersk Nigeria Limited,  one of the four shipping companies sanctioned by the Nigerian Ports Authority(NPA) for non-compliance with directive on holding bays,  has decided to inflict more pains on the hapless Nigerians by shifting the costs of acquisition of the facilities on them.

According to a document obtained by our correspondent,  Maersk Line  Nigeria Limited is set to inflict obnoxious charges on Nigerians if it is to adhere to the new regime of acquiring holding bays for empty containers. 

Even though it declined to mention the amount, Maersk Line is insisting that Nigerian Shippers must face the direct cost increase. 

The document stated,  “As you are aware, shipping companies will not store and transfer empties without a cost and this ultimately means that the importers will de facto face a direct cost increase. 

“This cost includes but not limited to terminal handling charges,  storage fees,  reposition/trucking cost from holding bay to the port etc. 

“Considering the sheer volume of containers that we would have to handle from the holding bays,  we would be left with no choice than to pass  on this cost to customers. 

“Increased tariff to access the port with shipping lines now expected to transfer units from holding bays to terminals and customers taking delivery of their full unit as well as drop off of export unit,  we are now adding an additional truck move to access the port facility,  we anticipate that this would result in an increased number of trucks looking to gain access to the port and subsequently increased traffic as indicated below. 

“Stakeholders engagement and relationship : as a responsible organisations, we do take into cognisance and acknowledge the important role each individual stakeholder plays within our industry. 

“In this vein,  we have always ensured to continually engage all respective stakeholder on matters that directly impacts our counter to better position us for improved services to our customers, a section was dedicated to NAGAFF to introduce them to the changes and how same will support our customers,” the statement read.

It would be recalled that Kikelomo Abiola,  the Marine operations manager of Maersk Nigeria Limited,  had earlier warned that the cost of acquiring holding bays would be transferred to its customers.

Cudjoe however argued that using the holding bay would add to the cost of doing business for the shipping company, vowing that this would be transferred to the customers.

She also warned that forcing the shipping companies to make use of holding bays would lead to congestion which government is trying to avoid, and that vessels calling at the port would not have enough empty containers to go back with on their return voyage.

Cudjoe lamented that shipping lines were being targeted by the government, whereas it is not only shipping lines that are parties responsible for the gridlock being experienced at the port, according to her, petroleum tankers and other road users also contribute to the gridlock.

“Talking about cost, for the shipping lines, we were asked to return the containers to the holding bays, nobody is thinking of who will cover the cost of shunting and transferring of the containers back to the terminals, we have made it known to the authorities and the Shippers Council that this is a cost that would eventually be passed on to the customer”

“It is also not in our best interest because everybody understands the condition in Nigeria and the economy, what I am saying is that this policy eventually would hit the customers really badly.

“If you look at it prior to now before this policy was implemented, it was simply go inside the terminal and come out with a container, but now, there is going to be many stops, you go from the terminal to the customers yard,  from there back to the holding bays and from holding bays back to the terminals, there are so many different movements and that in itself creates congestion on the road, this policy will very likely compound the problem we are trying to avoid”.

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