The Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA) has lifted the suspension it earlier slammed on four shipping lines, namely: Maersk, Lagos and Nigeria Shipping Agencies Limited (LANSAL) and the African Port Services (APS) for not having holding bays for their empty containers.
In a statement issued yesterday by the NPA and signed by its assistant general manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications; Mr Isah Suwaid, it explained that NPA has opened a new window for the affected companies to comply with the directives.
“The Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority has ordered the restoration of services to the four shipping companies whose operations were suspended for their failure to comply with the directive of acquiring and operating holding bays for their containers.
However the affected shipping companies have now been given two weeks, beginning from Friday July 20th 2018 to comply with four conditions to ensure sustainable relationship”, the NPA said.
The affected companies are now expected to increase the capacity of their Holding Bays ranging from 1,800 TEUs to 7,500 TEUS, sign-off on the volume capacity of the Holding Bays verified at the end of the grace period and that at the expiration of the two weeks, an inspection will be conducted to ascertain compliance and that the Authority warned, thereafter further sanctions will be applied on failure to meet the said conditions, the statement added.
The NPA also disclosed yesterday that two weeks period of grace granted to the four affected shipping companies was sequel to a meeting it held with officials of the companies over the weekend.
“The decision by the NPA to grant the period of grace was after due consideration of their presentations at the meeting and a subsequent joint inspection on their existing facilities”, NPA stated.
It also added that, “formal letter dated 20th July, 2018 informing the accepted companies of the review of the suspension order signed by the General Manager, Marine & Operations, Mr. Joshua Asanga on behalf of the Managing Director, Hadiza Bala Usman, has since been despatched”.
While announcing the suspension on July 14, 2018, the NPA had alleged that, “some of these companies have also been found to import a larger number of containers than empty containers exported thereby making the country a dumping ground for empties.”
The NPA had said in the statement that, it also discovered that the companies import large number of containers which they “dump” at the said destinations, thereby causing gridlock.
“The suspension follows the authority’s checks, which revealed that the four companies have failed to fully comply with the directive to acquire and operate holding bays as they have either failed to utilise their holding bays at all or do not have adequate capacity to handle the volume of containers that they deal with,” the statement read.
“Some of these companies have also been found to import a larger number of containers than empty containers exported thereby making the country a dumping ground for empties.
“These conducts have contributed to the persistent congestion around the Lagos Port Complex and the Tin Can Island Port, spreading to other parts of the Lagos metropolis where truck drivers with no immediate business at the ports now park their trucks”, it added in the suspension order.
Meanwhile, one of the suspended firms; COSCO has hit back against the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), insisting it complies with all local and regional regulations in the country.
In a response to the action yesterday, in which it denied all allegations, the Chinese firm claimed that the low efficiency was down to an ongoing truckers’ strike.
COSCO stated that: “We herewith declare that COSCO SHIPPING Lines and its Nigerian office strictly complies with local laws and regulations, and keep in close communication with local authorities, all vessel operation as scheduled, without any negatively impact in the past and the future.
“Regarding our previous official notification, COSOCO SHIPPING Lines has informed that low terminal operation efficiency is due to the strike of truck drivers.”
Maersk, the world’s biggest container line, had also denied the NPA’s charge in an advisory sent to its clients on July 19.
It said: “It is misguiding for the Nigerian Ports Authority to suspend Maersk Nigeria Limited for failing to acquire and operate holding bays for empty containers as Maersk Nigeria Limited operates four holding bays within the Lagos environ with a storage capacity of 8,150 TEUs which is more than 50 per cent of the discharge average.
“Maersk Nigeria Limited has complied fully with this directive and followed the call-up protocol for use of the holding bays stipulated by the NPA.”
Discussion about this post