Otunba Kunle Folarin (Chairman, PCC)
Otunba Kunle Folarin (Chairman, PCC)
The issue of Cargo Tracking Note has been well discussed, there have been comments from stakeholders against it while some are in support of it, some have accepted it but some still have their reservations about it. Haven said this, the agreement at the time was that we should just give it a trial and see how it goes, if there are advantages in it then we will identify it, so it was a pilot project and which they assured that it was going to be a pilot project, after it must have been tried out then stakeholders can now identify the advantages in it if there are any and if there are non, then it will be made known. So I believe the CTN is still within that period of a pilot project, after this, stakeholders will now sit down to fashion out how they want it to function.
Oladipo Bolade (Assistant National secretary, ANLCA)
Since the CTN has become a government policy, there is little or nothing that we can do rather than to comply, we saw the short-comings and we raised eyebrow on them, but when the parastatal in charge now believe that it is important, we have no other choice than to comply because it has become a government policy and I can tell you from a reliable source that our members and their clients are now complying respectively. We have said it on several occasions and tried to make it known to government that it is going to bring about additional cost, especially as it affects the goods that are being imported and which at the end of the day goes down to the consumer.
Capt. Niyi Adeyemo (Master Mariner)
The question we are asking is that for NPA to be insisting on collecting this levy, what is the CTN intended to achieve? Would it be because they want freight rates or just because they don’t want the type of situation that we had before when arms were being shipped- in? What I will say is that they should go by the opinion and the contributions of stakeholders on the CTN, why should it be NPA that will be collecting the CTN, the minute they start collecting this money, NIMASA and other agencies also may want to come with another policy of this kind that will also enrich them, remember that if the costs are going to be added, nobody wants to pay any additional cost, remember that already there are too many costs, and if those who are going to pay this money are against the CTN, then this means you can not enforce it.
Mr. Sampson Chima (Registrar, NIS)
When this idea first came up there were a lot of controversies on whether the importers should comply with the directive, but now the new Managing Director has given the order that it should be enforced. CTN is a very welcomed development because the advantages are there; we have been witnessing the type of cargoes that have been coming into the country; like arms, toxic cargoes and so on. And this CTN is to checkmate the type of cargo coming into the country so that they don’t turn our country into a dumping ground, to me it is a welcome development and I will advice stakeholders to abide by the directive. However where I have concern is the money issue, there are lots of controversies that the money is too high, but if government can use it for positive development and capacity building, then I think it is okay, but they should look into the cost and reduce it.
Godfrey Bivbere [Journalist]
It does not add value to the industry at all, forget all the claims that CTN is meant for tracking vessels and containers .To me, they are just there, the truth of the matter is that, the scheme does not have any positive effect on stakeholders in this country .If it does, we have talked about the issue of containers with cocaine, in three months, we have had three seizures, for about six months, used electronics, toxic materials came into the country; and weapons too. If truly the CTN is supposed to check the vessels and containers, I don’t think we should have issues like this. I think is a means to enrich some sets of people in our society.
Mr., Imafidom Efosa [Stakeholder]
Truly, it is a welcome development by the government because the policy will yield revenue for the country, as it will also check the importation of contraband items into the country. The policy started last year, but some stakeholders have refused to pay the levy, but really I must say that the levy is going to affect business of importation because there will be a time when those that are supposed to pay the levy or those who pays will protest as it will add to importation cost of goods. I think such a levy should be resisted by stakeholders because they pay other duty. It is a means of extortion by the government.
Joseph Nnamocha [P.R.O.ANLCA, Apapa Chapter]
As a matter of fact, I believe that in the issue of importers paying the levy is not the best, it is supposed to be a levy for the shipping companies, the shipping lines are supposed to pay for the levy if the need be. The cost should be added at the point of shipping and not when the goods might have arrived or landed, it can lead to confusion because at the end of the day, the importer may not be around to pay such levy making the clearing agent to run around for money and it will lead to hiccups. Therefore, the Cargo Tracking Note levy should be abolished.
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