The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has threatened to seal non-compliance off dock terminals over refusal to refund storage fees to shippers, lack of adequate handling equipment, among other infractions.
Speaking on Tuesday during a tour of some bonded terminals in Lagos the Executive Secretary of NSC, Mr Hassan Bello insisted that it is the responsibility of terminal operators who stemmed cargoes to bonded terminals to pay and not shippers, while insisting that money collected from shippers should be refunded to them.
Speaking specifically at Denca bonded terminal, Bello informed that the terminal is owing up to about N42 million terminal charges that are yet to be refunded.
While stating that failure of the terminal to adhere to the memo issued by the council, will likely lead to sealing he terminal license.
Bello who also lamented the poor state and location of some of the bonded terminals urged the Nigeria Customs Service (NSC) to always carry the Council along before issuing license to bonded terminals.
He informed that the council will begin to post its staff to the bonded terminals to monitor and enforce efficiency at the off –dock facilities.
He said: “I am particularly not happy with the arrangement that is going on between the seaport terminals and bonded terminal; each one trying to passed the buck on transfer and storage charges, and what we are saying is that our circular which we issued in July will have to suffice for this exercise, no storage charges, no transfer charges; if goods are stemmed from the seaport terminal, those who stemmed the goods are responsible for whatever cost and not the shippers”
"So it is between the seaport terminal and the off dock terminal, there must be a standard operating procedure and a memorandum of understanding, I think what has been happening between the two is informal arrangement and we cannot have informal arrangement, the shipper cannot pay for what is not its responsibility
"He has already nominated in his bill of laden or contract of afreightment where his cargo should go, and to transfer that cargo to another terminal, it has to be the business of the first terminal he has nominated”
"It cannot be otherwise, so going through the issues, tomorrow meeting will be instructive, because NSC believes in consultations and negotiations, but if for any other reason, we found out that the seaport terminal or the bonded terminal is charging this fees which we have abolished, then NSC will be left with no options than to take very strict measure and that measure will include sealing of recalcitrant operators who have defiled genuine orders of NSC.
"We are posting staff of NSC to all these bonded terminals to monitor and enforce efficiency, some of the bonded terminal,
"Also some of these bonded terminals are not properly situated, because there are no access to the terminal and you see the whole place not looking nice, so it is also our duty to work with Nigeria Customs that licensed them to ensure that whenever a bonded terminal is to be licensed it's geographical location suitability must be taken into consideration
Commenting on the deplorable states of the Denca bonded terminal , the NSC boss said, "I have talked with the officials here, that for them to operate we will write our report on some of these issues and we will make sure that the existence of a bonded terminal depends on the standard that is maintained internationally, if not we will recommend that the terminal license be ceased.
Speaking earlier, the Managing Director of the Denca bonded terminal, Mr. Tony Asiadiachi stated that it was the seaport terminal that instructed them to collect the fee from the shippers, stating that some of the consignment carry storage which they pay before carrying it, which is later now transferred to the owners of the cargoes.
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