Even as stakeholders’ expectations where rife yesterday for the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to begin collection of the Practitioners Operations Fee (POF) at all entry points, the Council could not commence the collection after all.
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi had set August 1st date for the collection of the POF.
As part of preparations, the Minister also reportedly gave the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the terminal operators the powers to input the POF in their bill as from August 1(yesterday).
Shipping Position Daily correspondent who was at the port yesterday to monitor the situation reported that the collection did not kick off as directed by the Minister.
Speaking with our correspondent after its National Executives Committee meeting in Lagos yesterday, National Publicity Secretary of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Dr. Kayode Farinto confirmed that the collection has not started.
Farinto told our correspondent that the POF was one major item discussed at the meeting and that ANLCA still maintains its stand against collection of the POF.
"Our position is still the one we have maintained, but I cannot say if after our NEC meeting in Port Harcourt next week, if there are new developments, but so far, our position remains the same until the NEC says otherwise"
"The matter was discussed at today's (Tuesday) meeting and it is a contempt of court if the CRFFN goes ahead to collect the POF, what modality would they use to collect such money?" he asked.
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