Fresh indications have emerged that the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (CRFFN) has finally reached a compromise with the freight forwarding associations in order to begin collection of the controversial practicing fees, without recourse to the Federal Ministry of Transport.
Fresh indications have emerged that the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (CRFFN) has finally reached a compromise with the freight forwarding associations in order to begin collection of the controversial practicing fees, without recourse to the Federal Ministry of Transport.
A reliable source confirmed to Shipping Position Daily last week that the Council at its last meeting with the associations in March 2013 agreed to commence collection of the money and that it is only now perfecting modality on how to collect and also ensure equitable sharing.
According to our source, a sharing formula has already been agreed upon and this was unilaterally endorsed by all the associations.
Based on the agreement, the CRFFN is to collect 40 percent, while the two foremost freight forwarding associations; Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) are to take 15 percent each.
Smaller associations like the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders (AREFF) National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) and NAFFAC are to get 10 percent each.
It would be recalled that collection of the controversial transaction fees had led to disagreement between the CRFFN and the freight forwarding associations which led to the intervention of the Minister of Transport; Senator Idris Umar.
Challenging the action of the Minister to suspend the collection of practicing fees, our source said that, "the minister does not have that right, the money is not for the government, and in our constitution, it allows for us to collect practicing fees from our members".
"We have decided to go ahead with the collection of the money, it is not going to be collected directly by the Council, if we do this it will be assumed that it is government money and government is not ready to share any money with you", he disclosed.
It was also gathered that the Council may reach an agreement with shipping companies to help collect the money. He said that it will be added to dues that freight forwarders must pay to shipping companies.
He however hinted that some interests from one of the frontline associations are not happy about the involvement of other associations in the sharing.
A mail purportedly sent by one Mr. A.V Ikeh has been going round to important stakeholders on the need for the CRFFN to revisit the accreditation of some of its associations.
Part of the mail obtained by our correspondent last week reads: "the antecedents of these associations; some of these associations have been known with documentary evidences to be part of illegalities plaguing the system. These evidences would be presented when necessary".
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