The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has called for the cancellation of the 3% levy on freight being collected by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) saying that the funds is not being used for the purpose it was collected.
The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has called for the cancellation of the 3% levy on freight being collected by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) saying that the funds is not being used for the purpose it was collected.
Special Adviser to the ANLCA National President on Technical Matters, Mr. Francis Omotosho told Shipping Position Daily last week in Lagos that the 3% levy by NIMASA was supposed to be utilized for the training of maritime practitioners, he however lamented that no freight forwarder has so far benefitted from this money.
He alleged that rather than use the money for training, various Directors General of the apex maritime agency had concentrated efforts on squandering the money on playing politics.
The provisions of the NIMASA Act 2007 authorized the agency to collect three percent levy on behalf of the Federal Government.
Specifically, Section 15(a) of the Act authorizes NIMASA to demand and collect 3percent of gross freight on all international inbound and outbound cargo from ships or shipping companies operating in Nigeria.
But speaking, Omotosho said: "The 3% on freight that we are paying and which NIMASA is collecting is basically to train practitioners, it is our money, the NMA (National Maritime Authority) now turned NIMASA is supposed to gather the money and use it to train practitioners"
"But if you look at the industry now, how many people have they trained? once you are a DG of NIMASA they keep the money within themselves, they use our money to train themselves, meanwhile they are a government employee, they collect money from the government but we contribute money to train ourselves"
"No shipping practitioner has ever benefited from that money, they only use it for politics" he said
He maintained that NIMASA is still collecting the money and the purpose of the money is to train the shipping practitioners generating this money.
Omotosho argued that freight forwarders are entitled to benefit from the 3% levy by NIMASA so that they can be on the same level with their contemporaries in other parts of the world.
"It is different from the seven percent that is being collected, shipper’s council and NPA and FIRO in Oshodi area of Lagos, the money is not going into Federal Account" he said.
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