The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has asked the Federal Government to appoint a commercial regulator to oversee the charges being paid at the nation’s ports.
A statement made available by the Founder of NAGAFF, Dr Boniface Aniebonam to newsmen on Thursday in Lagos, said that freight forwarders and customs agents were suffering without a regulator.
The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has asked the Federal Government to appoint a commercial regulator to oversee the charges being paid at the nation’s ports.
A statement made available by the Founder of NAGAFF, Dr Boniface Aniebonam to newsmen on Thursday in Lagos, said that freight forwarders and customs agents were suffering without a regulator.
In a copy of the statement which was sent to Shipping Position Daily, NAGAFF lamented the plight of freight forwarders in the hands of officials of government agencies in the ports. “We are suffering so much from the activities of government agencies and the service providers in the course of our professional duty in the ports and approved border stations.
“ The level of extortion, over-assessment of imports and excessive local charges of the shipping companies, terminal operators and regulatory agencies have made our ports uncompetitive.
“ How do we explain that most of the sacked government agencies are quietly and indirectly back to the ports and distorting cargo flow? he asked.
He said that the high level of corruption at the ports and border stations were not in tandem with the transformation programme of President Goodluck Jonathan.
“It is NAGAFF’s considered opinion that the attention of Mr President be drawn through the Office of the Coordinating Minister of the Economy to immediately arrest this ugly situation,’’ he said.
Dr Aniebonam said that it was expected that one year after the ports were concessioned, the cost of doing business would have reduced by 30 per cent.
According to him, it is not so at the moment after several years of the concession programme.
He urged freight forwarders to organise a forum urgently to dialogue with the government.
“Some freight agents are agitated and very frustrated because of human element barriers at the ports and borders.
“ The undue stress the agents go through to remove the smallest cargo out of our ports and border stations make nonsense of the ongoing transformation of Nigeria, Aniebonam said.
He alleged that, “the most disturbing aspect is that most practitioners are now becoming clinically unfit arising from high blood pressure.’’
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