NPA warns terminal operators against charging importers for using barges

Abiola Seun :

Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has warned terminal operators against imposing extra charges on importers and customs agents for allowing them to transport their goods by barges from the seaports.

Consequently, the authority has pledged to investigate the operations of the various terminals with a view to imposing penalties on those it discovered to be surcharging importers for the use of barges instead of of offering the service free of charge.

Use of barges is the act of transporting cargoes generally by small craft through the waters to facilitate their delivery to specific destinations.

NPA, in its capacity as the technical regulator and the landlord of the seaports supervises the activities of the terminal operators or the concessionaires in accordance with the agreement which the latter signed with the Federal Government under the concession programme of 2006 which saw the ports terminal operations ceded to the concessionaires for different periods.

The organization has decided to go tough with terminals on the issue of commercializing the use of charges, for the fact that it was also offering such service for importers without charging for it but has been doing so as part of measures to facilitate clearing of goods and beat the gridlock on the Ports Access Roads.

The authority through its Executive Director, Marine & Operations Dr Sokonte Davies threatened to punish the concessionaires involved in such acts.

Sekonte who represented the Managing Director, Hadiza Bala Usman at an event recently issued the warning sequel to complaints by stakeholders that some terminal operators were introducing extra charge on importers for the use of badges, thus increasing the cost of clearing goods at the seaports.

He advised that more importers should be encouraged to adopt the measure in the spirit of Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) and reduction of the level of cargo dwell time .

Following the gridlock which has characterised the Lagos Seaports Access Roads for some years now , stakeholders , including the NPA, terminal operators , the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) among others have been assisting importers to move their cargoes out of the port through the use of barges.