Even as the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) continues to battle with freight forwarding associations, especially in regards to the collection of transaction fees at the port, the Shippers Association of Lagos State has advised the Council to de-list any freight forwarding association that feels they cannot be controlled.
Even as the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) continues to battle with freight forwarding associations, especially in regards to the collection of transaction fees at the port, the Shippers Association of Lagos State has advised the Council to de-list any freight forwarding association that feels they cannot be controlled.
President of the association, Rev. Jonathan Nicole in an exclusive interview with Shipping Position Daily in his office yesterday observed that the activities of freight forwarding associations have posed a challenge and have become obstacles to CRFFN’s efforts to to implement its Act.
Nicole said that the essence of the CRFFN Act is to regulate freight forwarders and their associations, but according to him, the associations are now trying to regulate the council.
"The major challenge facing the council is the interpretation of the Act, the council was meant to regulate associations and individuals, whether you have licenses or not, the CRFFN is to train Nigerians in the business of freight forwarding, but what we have now is that the associations are trying to regulate the CRFFN which is wrong", he told our correspondent.
"The council should de-list any association that feels it is too big to abide by the council's regulations, it is not by the number of years you have been in existence, it is the same certificate of registration that the giant has that the ant also has" Nicole said.
He warned that freight forwarders must not rubbish the intelligence of the formulators of the CRFFN Act, saying that the council is not meant for associations alone, but for individual freight forwarders as well.
He commended the Council in its drive to train and issue diploma certificates to freight forwarders, saying that the Nigeria Customs Service has not done this before, rather they only train their officers.
He bemoaned the lack of standard in the freight forwarding profession especially in terms of practicing fees charged by agents from shippers.
"With what CRFFN is doing, there will be a benchmark of practicing fees and by so doing, a shipper will be able to determine how much it will cost to clear a 40- foot container"
"Unlike what is obtainable now, a freight forwarder will give you a cost, and another somewhere will tell you he can do it for less amount, there is no standard and this are part of the job of the council"
"With your CRFFN number, you don't need a customs license to practice, all you need is evidence that you have been trained by the council and you will have our cargo to clear".
"With this, the shipper can go home and sleep knowing that his cargo is in the hands of a professional" he said.
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