Manufacturers Alleged 2000 Containers Trapped In Lagos Ports

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has raised an alarm over the fate of about 2000 containers that are currently trapped in various ports in Lagos, a development the group attributed to wrong interpretation of fiscal policies emanating from the Federal Government by the Nigeria Customs Service.

Speaking at a forum organized by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in Lagos last week, a member of the association; Mr. John Aluya alleged that wrong interpretation of policies at the port by Custom officers has caused various setbacks for the maritime industry.

Particularly, he said that more than 2000 containers belonging to importers are currently trapped in the ports as a result of the bureaucracy between the Ministry of Finance and the Customs.

Aluya said that the information emanating from government circle are conflicting in most cases, and that once it gets to the customs, different interpretations are given to them.

"This should not be so, but it is like that because government has inadvertently allocated revenue target to Customs and Customs are no longer interested in trade facilitation", he stated.

"The delay in resolving the interpretation between the Customs and the Ministry of Finance takes about four to six weeks. While this is going on, the manufacturers or importer are incurring demurrage and rents", he lamented.

"Even ordinary circulars from government on how certain things are to be implemented, once it moves from the Finance Ministry to the Customs, the customs will give it a different interpretations"

Specifically, he said that, "there was a fiscal policy issued by the Finance Ministry on 23rd of February where government said that all those who have perfected their documentation of import are allowed to pay the old duty, but the Customs said no".

"As I speak with you, over two thousand containers of our members are trapped at the port because of this wrong interpretation from the Customs and we are paying demurrage and rents, how can a country progress?"

Aluya said that MAN have been trying to meet with the leadership of the Customs to get the containers cleared, and that the last time the association contacted the Assistant Controller General of Zone ‘A', Mrs Banke Adeyemo she was in Dubai, and that those in Abuja were not reachable.

The association also called on the government to address the issue of infrastructures at the port as well as reduce the long cargo dwell time at the port.