• Wants Customs Benchmark on Duty
• Wants Bonded Terminal Patronised
The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), has acknowledged that the ports in Lagos are indeed congested and lamented that the congestion is causing a lull in business for importers and freight forwarders and a resultant high cost of doing business.
• Wants Customs Benchmark on Duty
• Wants Bonded Terminal Patronised
The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), has acknowledged that the ports in Lagos are indeed congested and lamented that the congestion is causing a lull in business for importers and freight forwarders and a resultant high cost of doing business.
The position was made known last week at the joint sitting of the House of Representatives joint committees of Finance, Customs and Excise and Marine Transport that is looking into allegations of congestion in Lagos ports.
….According to NAGAFF, congestion is evident as the “inherent lack of infrastructure, both on the landside and the waterside that constrains flow of freight, a situation where existing port facilities is insufficient to accommodate additional ships and cargo and containers coming in far out-number those exiting the ports’.
But more specifically, the group said that in the ports, there is delay and long waiting time observed in ships berthing, there are many uncleared containers that litter the ports, terminals. It also added that there empty containers litter the port access roads in Apapa due to no space to receive them at the ports or at a defined holding bay. All these lead to more goods coming into the seaports than they leave the port terminals and the resultant effect is that there is long dwell time of cargo in the port terminals.
To stem the tide, NAGAFF suggested, in the interim, that Nigerian Ports Authourity “should intensify efforts in clearing all ports access roads of trucks, and increase work on the ongoing truck parking bay. The private sector should be brought into this arrangement as well”.
“In the interim the Nigeria Shippers’ Council should serve as a “Regulator” in the industry”, the freight forwarding body said, while NPA was urged to improve efficiency in pilotage and provide more thug boats.
According to NAGAFF, “government should negotiate with concessionaires of Trade Fair Complex or owners of Bonded Terminal operators to secure space for immediate evacuation of longstanding containers” also as an interim measure to stop the congestion.
“Goods transferred and not cleared after 3 months should be promptly seized and auctioned or given to charity Reduce long import prohibition list of trade goods. Government should allow differed payment of customs duty (on Bond/Guarantee from Licensed Customs Agent/Bank). Regulatory agencies of government should emulate SON by granting provisional releases, while encouraging them to automate their procedures”.
The body also made a case for the ports to operate on 24 hours basis, saying that,” Customs and stakeholders should be encouraged to sustain the concept of 24/7 basis”, even as it urged the Federal Government to provide adequate security port users round- the- clock.
The association also suggested a return of the controversial Customs duty benchmark, saying that it is one of the panaceas for port congestion.
It however stated that as a long term measure to put congestion behind us, the policy of developing deep sea ports should be encouraged. It also called for the extension of rail services to ports and Inland Container Depots.
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