15% vehicle levy: Ports clearing agents shelve strike

Members of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Clearing Agents (ANLCA) have shelved their planned strike saying it could cost demurrages due to the envisaged public holidays ahead of the festivities.

They were to begin a protest on Monday at the seaports over the implementation of the 15 per cent National Automotive Council (NAC) levy by the Nigeria Customs Service from April 9.

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However, one of the agents, James Uzor, yesterday said the amount agents would have incurred as demurrage would have been colossal considering the long holiday

“Those who have consignments to clear at the seaports have only Monday and Tuesday to do so. Failure of which would attract a humongous amount as demurrage. The move would have been counterproductive which would have backfired at the end,” he said.

Also speaking, the taskforce chairman of ANLCA at Tin Can Island Port, Alhaji Rilwan Amuni said: “We decided to hold on to the strike action because of the burden on our members, we found out that this is the only week that we have before the Sallah and May Day break, we don’t want much burden for our members.

“However, the Ministry of Finance has been evasive, if not for the long holidays ahead, our strike action would have been held.”

The Public Relations Officer of ANLCA at Tin-Can Island, Comrade Onome Monije, said the port was not going on strike and that those proposing the strike are faceless, adding that their leaders are holding talks with the Customs management team on how best to resolve the issue.