The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has come hard on opponents of the controversial Cargo Tracking Note (CTN), even as it explained that the concept of tracking cargoes was introduced after the September 11 terror attack on the United States of America.
In an explanatory note which the agency issued last week and Which was made available to Shipping Position Weekly, it Disagreed with some stakeholders who have argued that the CTN is an imposition. “After the September 11th terrorist on attack on the USA, countries started the tracking of marine cargoes in accordance with ISPS Code because of its security, safety and economic benefits.
The “CTN is an International Cargo Verification Solution and Cargo Procedure in accordance with ISPS Code. Nigeria is a member of International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and has almost ratified all the international conventions like the SOLAS Convention, ISPS Code etc”, NPA added.
Explaining that the CTN does not represent additional cost to the Importer, NPA stated that “the little fees charge are inbuilt in the freight that shippers have been charging, evidence available suggests that some shippers have been collecting and pocketing the fees long before the federal government decided to implement the system.
The organisation disclosed that importers; especially members of the organised private sector have been complaining largely because of ignorance.
“They are protesting because they are being used by the shipping lines to go against their interest and that of their country. These shipping lines own most of the shipping agencies, they are the vessel owners. They are the same in the neighbouring countries. They make money out of Nigeria through the non-implementation of CTN.
They use the manufacturers and importers by telling them that they will bear additional cost as a result of CTN, this is false”, the statement added.
The NPA further came hard on shippers alleging that “they do a lot of under declaration and this will be exposed by the CTN. Also, to them, the much anticipated port reforms can never succeed in Nigeria. They have now discovered that NPA is on the path to verifying freight on cargo, the second component without addressing which no meaningful port reform can be executed”.
The agency also denied he high figures that are allegedly been paraded by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and others saying that it is not true that the CTN is 20 per cent of freight cost. “This is falsehood because there is no mathematics that can translate 50 Euros as 20 per cent of 1,500 Euros, which is the least cost of transporting a 20 feet container from Europe to Lagos”, it explained .
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