The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has threatened to deal with terminal Operators who fails to comply with Federal Government directive on waivers.
Federal Government, through NPA had directed all terminal operators and shipping companies to stop collection of demurrage and storage charges during the lockdown period.
It also directed terminal operators to forward claims of waivers granted to freight forwarders during the lockdown period for payment. A directive which Freight forwarders said had been flauted.
Upon these purported refusal some Freight Forwarders at nation’s seaports at the weekend picketted a terminal in Lagos.
The Management of NPA had on Monday held a high-powered meeting with all stakeholders aimed at resolving all gray areas.
Daily Trust reliably that at the meeting NPA had threatened to sanction terminals involved in the sharp practice.
A senior staff of NPA exclusively told our correspondent that a committee was set up after the meeting to assess all alligations and recommend appropriate sanction if necessary.
Chairman of Apapa chapter of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Chief Dom Onyeka, while picketing one of the terminals said freight forwarders have stopped writing Terminal Delivery Order (TDO) to clear their consignments.
“At the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic, NPA told us that storage and demurrage would be waved off, they called us to come out and start working despite the Coronavirus”
“At the end, Shipping companies and terminal operators are not acting on that waiver, we are now saying that we can no longer work except the directive is being implemented, we have stopped the generation and writing of TDO for now.
We have sensitized all our members” he said
The ANLCA Chairman said members of the association has met with the Port Manager, and during which she promised to call a stakeholders meeting on Monday.
He said that yhr meeting is to enable the agents present all evidences and determine why terminal operators refused to comply with government instructions.
“We have downed tools at the port, but because of the impromptu, some freight forwarders have gone for examination, but we are not allowing anyone to write TDO again. We have stopped agents from working. All the four associations are here, we are all together on this.
“We cannot continue to wait, we have tolerated it enough, we cannot continue to pay for what we didn’t enjoy, we didn’t cause the pandemic” he said
A senior staff of NPA who do not have authority to speak said that management has scheduled a meeting with the freight forwarded and other stakeholders for Monday to discuss the matter.
The staff said that management asked Freight Forwarders to submit evidence of payment to NPA.
The General Manager Corporate and Strategic Communications of NPA, Eng Jatto Adams, said that all issues involving demurrage and rent charges have been resolved at the meeting held on Monday.
“We have asked those who claimed that demurrage was collected from them to submit same to Headquarters. Terminal Operator found wanting would be sanctioned while claims would be paid to claimants” he added
