Oluyinka Onigbinde
Members of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) operating at the Port Harcourt International Airport have lamented poor cargo traffic at the ports.
Speaking during a three-day working visit of the acting national president of the association, Dr Kayode Farinto and other members of the National Executive Committee (NECOM) to the eastern port on Tuesday, the chairman of the airport chapter noted that the major challenge confronting the airport chapter include poor cargo traffic.
He added that about 75 percent of the cargoes received at the airport go to the oil and gas free zone and bonded terminals.
He said that Port Harcourt airport chapter receives just one cargo flight every forth night, while informing that since 26th of March 2020, cargo flights like Air France, Cargo Lux, Turkish Air among others no longer fly into Port Harcourt airport, while urging the acting president and the NECOM to intervene.
According to him, “during the last NEC meeting at the National Headquarters, I highlighted the numerous challenges confronting us in this chapter which I submitted to the national secretary.
“Mr President, it may interest you to know that Port Harcourt receives one cargo flight every forth night since 26th of March 2020, cargo flight like Air France, Cargo Lux, Turkish air, etc, do not operate into Port Harcourt airport any longer, but for today the most important one that requires immediate intervention is the poor cargo traffic” he said.
Speaking also while receiving the members of NECOM and other associations members, the Comptroller of Customs, Port Harcourt Port, Comptroller Mohammed Ibrahim lamented poor cargo traffic at the port.
He informed that only one container vessel by MSC is received at the terminal, this is even as he lamented the increased freight charge by terminal operator as he informed that it takes close to £1000 to move container from Onne to Port Harcourt port.
“There is a lingering issue we have here and that is that we have only one container vessel here that’s the MSC, unfortunately when I arrived, I realised that there is a dispute between the terminal operator and the shipping line due to increased freight close to £1000 between Onne and area 1. But I have been talking to them, we had session with MSC and then terminal operators, later we had joint session with them and we are about reaching unity and once that it’s done I think the area will be open again” he said.
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He added that although the NCS and the customs agents have symbiotic relationship, he however urged for more compliance.
Responding, the acting president said engagements are currently ongoing. “We’ve been preaching compliance for the past few weeks for our members and we do say compliance is a two-way thing; Customs needs to show compliance and agents will comply.
“Compliance is the only way, there is no short coming; we do not need to force compliance down the throat of freight forwarders, if there is an enabling environment”.
Farinto also urged the customs service to embark on training programmes for freight agents, stating that constant training will help the freight forwarders to be more compliance.
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