By Joshua Yousouph
Licensed Customs Agents operating in the nation’s seaport have called for the issuance of a unified Port Access card at the Lagos Ports, stating that it will reduce extortion and corrupt practices to the barest minimum at the ports.
Investigations carried out by Shipping Position Daily showed that some terminals have previously introduced a mandatory issuance of Port Access Cards to licensed customs agents and other essential port users before granting access into the port/terminal facility.
Clearing agents have however raised concerns over the pricing and extortion as a result of these Port Access Cards.
For instance, the National Coordinator of Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers and Exporters Coalition (SNFFIEC), Dr. Osita Chukwu decried the issuance of multiple access cards by port terminals stating that it is a ploy to constantly extort freight forwarders of their little profits to access the ports.
Osita informed that in developed climes, there is nowhere agents use multiple port access cards; this, according to him delays the jobs of freight forwarders. He however appealed to the management of the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) to ensure that all ports in Nigeria have a unified access card as practised in the port system of other countries.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Customs & Other Related Agencies of Government (CORAG), of the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders, Nigeria (AREFFN) Rev. Alex Nwokedi noted that the use of Port Access Cards is only operational at the Port and Terminal Multiservices Ltd (PTML) and will soon be operational at Port and Cargo Handling Services at Tin Can port.
He said the Access Cards are issued based on registered customs licenses and they sometimes pay up to N5,000 to N8,000 per staff yearly. Nwokedi noted that the Access cards have been able to checkmate corrupt practices at the entrances to the port.
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“It is only operational at PTML. It is not working in Tin Can and Apapa or any other port. I learned that they are trying to install it at Ports and Cargo. There is no permanent price for the access cards. They continue to change the price year in and out. They place some amount for each operation. Sometimes they collect N5,000 or N8,000 as the case may be, after application. You will need to apply for your license. The duration of the license is one year. It is not possible to fake it. It is made in a way that it is electronically operated. The moment you place your card at the entrance, the door opens and you have access to the port”, he said.
On his part, another clearing agent; Mr. Patrick Orih lamented the high price of these access cards. He said his staff pay as high as N10,000 each to get a Port Access Card at PTML which has placed a burden on clearing as some could not afford to pay for their entire staff thereby giving them limited access to the port.
“At the end of every year, they tell clearing agents to apply, giving a limited number of staff that can be registered. You pay by each staff member. Sometimes each staff pays up to N10,000 to get the card. This is a great burden on agents as many cannot afford to get cards for all their staff denying them access to the port unless they are smuggled in”, he concluded.
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