Importers Association Begins Collection of Fees at Port

By ZION Olalekan

Even as the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) is getting set to begin collection of controversial Practitioners Operations Fee (POF) at Nigerian Ports, a group known as the Importers Association of Nigeria (IMAN) has kick-started the collection of its membership tolls starting from Apapa port.

In a press briefing with maritime journalists in Lagos yesterday, the National Secretary of the IMAN Board of Trustees (BOT),Hon K.C Chikezie said that the levies collection from IMAN members has become imperative so as to take proper care of all IMAN members’ welfare as well as to join the federal government security agencies to checkmate influx of dangerous and substandard products into the country.

Chikezie who went through memory lane on how IMAN came into being, registered as a body and mandated to carry on with its legal activities said the body had consulted widely with all its stakeholders before taking the decision.

He said the BOT had deliberated on the issue and agreed for the tolls to be collected.

On the mode of collection, he said IMAN has printed its receipts and has assigned Prosper Integrated Logistics Limited in collaboration with Flight Prompt Aviation Services Limited as collectors of IMAN tolls.

The IMAN BOT scribe also said that they have gotten approval from the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and other relevant federal government ministries to effect the collection, adding that all the freight forwarding associations have also signed their approval of the collection.

In a calibrated toll levy to be collected by IMAN a 40ft Container and it’s equivalent will pay N5,000, while a 20ft and it’s equivalent will pay N2,000.

Others are trailers from the borders will pay N10,000, half bod-trailers from the border N,5000, imported cars, either from the borders or seaports N1,000 and imported vehicles other than cars from borders or seaports N2,000.

The body also levied bulk cargoes of cement, fish fertilizer, rice, salt, iron ore, petroleum products etc with vessels 1-10,000 tons capacity to pay N10 per ton, bulk cargoes of vessels 10,001-20,000 tons capacity will pay N5 per ton and airports cargoes N3 per kilogram.