The collection of the controversial wharf landing fees which was introduced by the Lagos State government into the maritime sector last year has now been extended to wet cargoes, particularly the oil and gas companies and depots operating in Lagos.
The wharf landing fee was introduced last year by the state government on all ‘dry’ cargoes that arrive the country through any of the two ports of Apapa and Tin Can Island in Lagos.
The collection of the fee from tank farms in Lagos, just as it is being done at the ports is justified by the Lagos State government and hinged on the fact that petroleum tankers accessing the Lagos roads cause damages on the roads by putting much pressure on it.
Also, it was gathered from some of the tank farm operators that the Ministry of Environment have mandated them all to come and undergo what it called ‘leak detection test’ and according to them the charges runs as high as N4Million per tank farm. The detection test is to ascertain that petroleum products is not leaking into the ground from the tanks, this according to expert is usually done by building a detection well in the tank farms during the short period.
However, downstream players have raised eyebrows on the duty collection even as some have simply categorized it as a way of extortion and an extra burden on tank farms operating in the state.
A source who spoke to Shipping Position Weekly on the issue confirmed that wharf landing fee collection has actually started at the jetties, adding that “they have started collecting wharf landing fees from us about two months ago and the way it is being collected is that it is the receiving depot that pays the money either for itself or on behalf of the importer which it will be later transferred to”.
Our source confirmed the amount of money being collected as N1, 000 for every 33,000 litres (or one tanker load). The amount, according to him, is usually collected when the product is being received by the depot.
A depot manager, Mr. Tokunbo Oguntowo who spoke to our correspondent in Lagos also confirmed the development that “it is in form of a tax and the essence is that the roads being damaged by these oil tankers will be repaired with the money generated, they have been collecting the money but it’s just for them to use it and let us see the effects because if you take a look at our access roads it is still in deplorable state” he said.
According to a source at Emtorf Consultancy Limited: a private company in charge of collecting the fee on behalf of Lagos state government, the collection of the money on wet cargoes is supposed to have commenced immediately it started at the ports
A top management member of the company who prefers anonymity told Shipping Position Weekly that “the law says it should be taken from ‘all cargoes discharged from any port in Lagos, so it automatically extends to all the jetties”, he confirmed.
Speaking further he said “initially there were difficulties in collection because we all know the attitudes human being towards the payment of tax, when we started, a lot of sensitization went round on it and in the next few months, you will see what we having been putting in place. Lagos ports needs to be transformed, because we are a hub of maritime activities in the whole of West Africa”, he said,
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