The Nigerian Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators (NAFFAC) has raised alarm over alleged illegal charges on imported cargoes into the country by some international airlines, even as it called on the regulatory agency, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to invoke all its powers of regulation to sanction such airline operators.
The Nigerian Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators (NAFFAC) has raised alarm over alleged illegal charges on imported cargoes into the country by some international airlines, even as it called on the regulatory agency, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to invoke all its powers of regulation to sanction such airline operators.
In a statement made available to Shipping Position Daily , last week , President General of the air freight forwarding association, Sir Chukwuka Thomas Agubamah condemned the practice, even as he lamented that the practice pose a threat to their entire business.
Agubamah said the practice whereby offending carriers withhold airway bills, but wait for importers or their appointed Customs agents to come to them and pay for it is unprofessional, even as he added that, ”NAFFAC notes with dismay the various un-conventional and illegal charges on import cargo by some international cargo carriers and without equivocation, condemns this extortionist Documentation or Administrative charges since they have neither a single basis on services rendered nor support of known international rules, practices and conventions on carriage of goods by air”.
The President General said, “NAFFAC condemns the practice whereby the offending carriers withhold airway bills but wait for importers or their appointed Customs agents to come to them and pay the so-called documentation or administrative charges and fees before handling-over their airway bills; meanwhile they have delivered cargo and manifest only to their ground
handling and cargo agents; SAHCOL and NAHCO.
‘’NAFFAC also considers all these charges by whatever nomenclature as unilateral, double taxation and illegal and have no basis even on account of service rendered since the carriers have even appointed ground and cargo handling agents to handle delivery functions. Â Ground
and Cargo handling agents (GCHA) by conventional agreement are to receive both airway bills and cargo from carriers, tally cargo, store and deliver cargo carried by airlines and are paid for services rendered.
He stressed that the impact of the additional documentation charges by some carriers on the cost of cargo delivery and the economy needs to be checked by the regulatory agencies, pointing out that the carriers involved do not bother to amend manifests which they raised and leave such aspect of their responsibilities to freight forwarders to sort out with Customs
“NAFFAC condemns in entirety these charges which are a carry-over of the historical practice of
European all-cargo airlines in the 1970s and 1980s to render some customs-related services on import cargo and charge some fees they termed Documentation Fee. It is thus untenable for some carriers to carry on with that Documentation Fee regime for no services rendered to cargo tally, storage and delivery, in an extortionist and un-conventional manner. NAFFAC notes with dismay that these carriers do not even bother to amend manifests which they raised and leave this aspect of their responsibilities to freight forwarders to sort out with Customs”, the association said.
Speaking further, Agubamah noted that not all carriers are guilty of this malpractice, even as he commended other carriers who have not deemed it proper to impose such regime of un-conventional and illegal charges on hand-over of airway bills of Imports.
“NAFFAC hereby calls on the regulatory agency, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to invoke all its powers of regulation, sanction and step in, and in all ramifications review agency
agreements between carriers and the GCHAs to ensure such tally with
international conventions and best practices.”
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