NAN-HE-4
Revenue
By Uche Eletuo
Lagos, Sept. 20, 2016 (NAN) Some stakeholders in the maritime industry on Tuesday in Lagos called on Lagos ports managers and operators to harmonise dues payable by port users to stop incessant crises.
The stakeholders, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on operational charges at the ports, said that they were constantly being harassed by numerous revenue collectors.
Mrs Cline Amadi, a transporter, said that the situation was becoming worrisome as port users were being subjected to many charges to put down or drop cargo at the second gate of Tin-Can.
“The cost of doing business in the port keeps on increasing by the day, making it traumatic to engage truck drivers for haulage.
“The Lagos State agents always come with different charges in different names and force people to pay,’’ Amadi said.
Mr Solomon Abari, the Logistics Manager with Advance Motor Logistics (AML), said some of the charges included parting, gate and traffic disruption fees, adding that harmonisation was the only remedy.
“We are advocating for a regime that will bring all these charges under one umbrella.
“On a daily basis, we are meant to pay for services not rendered by organisations being represented by these agents who extort money from us,’’ Abari said.
Mr Wale Shittu, a freight forwarder, said that he had incurred demurrage because his cargo, laden trucks, was impounded for not having a particular sticker.
“The existence of the sticker was unknown to the driver and I.
“When the Lagos State agents approached us on the sticker, they did not give us the opportunity to air our views, they impounded the trucks for days,’’ he said.
NAN reports that Chief Remi Ogungbemi, the President of Truck Owners Association, has been appealing to the appropriate authorities to dismantle frivolous extortion points around the ports. (NAN)
EUC/MO/TA
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Edited by Edited by Morayo.Omo/controlled by Tajudeen Atitebi