NPA suspends shipping services of Maersk, three others over holding bay - declares empty positioning fees illegal

Funso Olojo |

Barely 24-hrs after issuing threat to sanction shipping companies and terminal operators who failed to comply with its directive on holding bays, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA )has made good its threat when it announced the suspension of services of four erring companies.

In a press release signed by Isah Suwaid, the Assistant General Manager, Corporate and Strategic

Communications, the Authority has hammered Maersk line, Cosco Shipping, APS and Lansal Shipping companies.

Their operations were suspended for 10 days in the first instance.

“As part of efforts to resolve the protest by truck drivers at the Lagos Port Complex and the Tin Can Island Ports, Lagos, the Nigerian Ports Authority hereby announces a ten-day suspension of the services of four shipping companies, in the first instance.

“The affected shipping companies whose suspension takes effects from Saturday July 14, 2018 are:

Maerskline, Cosco Shipping, APS and Lansal

“The suspension follows the Authority’s checks, which revealed that the four companies have failed to fully comply with the directive to acquire and operate holding bays as they have either failed to utilise their holding bays at all or do not have adequate capacity to handle the volume of containers that they deal with.

“Some of these companies have also been found to import a larger number of containers than empty containers exported thereby making the country a dumping ground for empties.

“These conducts have contributed to the persistent congestion around the Lagos Port Complex and the Tin Can Island Port, spreading to other parts of the Lagos metropolis where truck drivers with no immediate business at the ports now park their trucks.

“At the expiration of this suspension, the Authority will review the level of compliance to its directives and determine further actions.

“In addition to this, the NPA will henceforth embark on a regular compliance check of the operations of holding bays by shipping companies and terminal operators and defaulters will be sanctioned.

Stakeholders have also agreed that while the call up system through the ports management as advised by shipping companies will remain in force, personnel of the Nigerian Navy will discontinue the issuance of call ups, even though they will remain on the traffic management team.

“Finally, the Authority wishes to state that the planned introduction of a new service charge called “Empty positioning fee” by shipping lines is illegal and should not be honoured by any operator.