The Nigerian Shipper’s Council which is the Economic Regulator for the Ports Industry, is doing more to ensure efficient and fair pricing in the Industry.
The Council is prevailing on all Shipping Companies and Terminal Operators, to see reason for reduced costs in various transactions at the Ports, to ensure ease of doing business and competitiveness.
The Executive Secretary of the Council, Mr. Hassan Bello stated this while chatting with newsmen in Lagos.
Mr. Bello explained that the Council was working to persuade Shipping Companies to reduce their demurrage free days at the ports, from the current five days to fifteen.
This, he opined would cushion the negative effect on both Importers and their Agents as well as, on the nation’s economy.
He also said similar efforts were being made to prevail on the Terminal Operators increase their containers rent – free days from the current three to five so as to give owners of such containers a breather.
Also, he is appealed to the Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, to make, what he calls a little sacrifice, to the Shipping Companies by reducing their Harbour dues to five percent, for convenience.
Mr. Bello said the Council would now be examining the Shipping documents used by the Shipping Companies because some of them include non – favourable terms for Nigerian business Operators.
The Shipper’s Council Boss however expressed satisfaction in the fact that, the Complaints Unit of the Council has been inundated with more than twenty five letters of Appreciation, on a monthly basis for its various interventions to right some of the wrongs in the System, while also recording an average of fifty complaints a month, through the Council’s Ports Service Support Portal.
Kemi Adebayo
