Shippers Council Registration Fee Divides Maritime Players

By ZION Olalekan |

Operators in the maritime industry have expressed divergent views on the proposed collection of registration fee collectible by the Nigerian Shippers Council.

Even though two critical groups; National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and the Shippers Association Lagos State (SALS) have shown support to the Council to go ahead and collect the said fee, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and the Importers Association of Nigeria (IMAN) kicked against the move.

Leading the pack in an interaction with Nigeriamaritime360.com, President of SALS, Rev Jonathan Nicol argued that the Shippers Council registration is even more critical than the N210,000 paid by freight Forwarders to the Nigeria Customs Service to renew their licenses yearly.

Nicol threw his weight behind the Council saying only the Council has right to collect money inside the port, saying that the charge would not lead to increase in cost of doing business.

On his part, president of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGGAF), Increase Uche said “Shippers’ Council has made it clear that it is part of their role, which also in consonance with other agencies of the government, we pay Nigerian Ports Authority, you register your company, we pay Customs licensed fee.

“I haven’t seen anything wrong in what the council is doing. It a reasonable thing they have done by breaking down the charges. I know of the argument even at the raises that why should freight forwarders pay but as long your business has something to do with shippers’ council.

“They are the economic regulator of the port industry and if you are doing business in the port as one of the players, they need to profile you.

“In documenting you, the logistics that is involved and if that one involves you to pay then you pay to allow you to do your business because they are the regulator on that field.

“NPA collects their own charges from freight forwarders too annually for you to collect permit every year, in terms of regulation we know that CRFFN is the regulator and that has to do with our professional calling. Shippers council is to make sure they document and profile all the companies that is working within the port that they are under their control as economic regulator”.

Meanwhile, the ANLCA Vice President, Kayode Farinto in a statement issued on Sunday argued that shippers Council can register stakeholders to have their database, it does not have the powers to impose registration fee.

He said, “Let them tell us the law that empowers Nigerian Shippers’ Council to register. If you want to have database of importers, shipping companies, fine. We are not saying you cannot tell people to come and register but not when you are making it mandatory for them to come and register with a certain fee. I stand to be corrected. Nigerian Shippers’ Council does not have that power.

“We are also going to tell our members not to pay until they can show us that law that empowers Nigerian Shippers’ Council to register people with a certain fee. We have been talking about the fact that there are too many charges in the industry. Nigerian Shippers’ Council’s responsibility is to protect the importers and not to add to their problems”.

On its part, Importers Association of Nigeria (IMAN) in a chat with newsmen last week, insisted that the port economic regulator should suspend any form of additional fee in the cargo clearance procedures from the ports; or else they will be forced to stop importation of cargoes into the country.

The Chief Operations Officer (COO), of the group, Prosper Okolo told journalists that importers may be forced to stop cargo importation through Nigerian ports.

He said “If every agency of government is collecting levy from the port, the shippers will no longer import cargoes into the country”.

Okolo noted that top officials of the association have engaged the Central Bank of Nigeria over the arbitrary charges on importers by government agencies and the shipping lines operating in the country.

Meanwhile, Executive Secretary of the Shippers Council, Hassan Bello at a meeting with shipping companies and freight forwarders held at the NSC headquarters in Lagos recently, announced a 50 per cent reduction on the registration fee.

Bello said the downward review of the fee followed due consultation with stakeholders.

A breakdown of the fee released by NSC showed that shipping line agencies and terminal operators are expected to pay N50,000 per annum down from the initial N100,000 ; inland container depot/dry port operators will now be paying N25,000 instead of N50,000; off dock terminal operators, cargo consolidators and shipping agency (non-vessel operating agency) will pay N10,000 down from N20,000 while freight forwarders and clearing agents, haulage firms, stevedoring companies, cargo surveyors and shippers will now pay N5,000 instead of the N10,000 initially imposed by the NSC at the beginning of this year.