The Shippers Association Lagos State (SALS) has urged the Federal Government to create a special terminal for raw materials, saying that this should be dedicated to importers of cargoes in large volume.
This is even as the association has lauded the Nigerian Senate for ordering the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Col Hamid Ali to re-open the nation's borders to vehicles as against an earlier directive which outlawed it.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos yesterday, SALS President, Rev Jonathan Nicole pleaded for special status for some of the association’s members whom he said have invested heavily in the country over the years.
Nicole said that concessions should be given to big time shippers for them to bring in their raw materials for manufacturing without attracting unnecessary demurrage from shipping companies and terminal operators.
He said: "Major shippers like Nestlé, Cadbury and so on, are improving the financial and social status of Nigerian people; we think such people should be given concessions, they deserve some concessions"
"Clearing their materials with 5%, there are other auxiliary charges from SON, Quarantine Services, hidden charges from Terminal Operators; these shippers should not suffer all these because they bring in large quantity of cargoes"
"If the shipping company would not give them concession, then probably we would ask government to set up a terminal for them. If it is possible for government to designate a terminal for export, it is also possible for them to build a terminal for raw materials, this would build our industry and provide employment" he said.
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