COVID-19/Ports: NAGAFF, ANLCA Applaud Shippers Council for Intervention on Clearing at Ports
CHIEF INCREASE UCHE, NAGAFF PRESIDENT
By Francis Ugwoke
The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) were weekend full of applause for the management team of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) over their efforts to ensure that goods are cleared at the ports despite the difficult operating environment occasioned by the coronarivus pandemic.
The federal government had while announcing a lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja FCT over three weeks ago classified the seaports under the essential services status which should be open for services.
However, President of ANLCA, Iju Tony Nwabunike and NAGAFF President, Chief Increase Uche told SHIPPING DAY that despite the federal government order, clearing goods at the ports has been a herculean task and would have been a total failure if not for the strategic intervention of the ports economic regulator.
Narrating the ordeal of members, the two associations said the shipping companies, terminal operators and banks appeared not ready to offer any port services under the COVID-19 pandemic until the NSC went round the industry to express the need to open for business as directed by the federal government.
According to them, the shipping service providers and banks offered skeletal services which became a nightmare for the importers and their agents who were at the ports to clear goods.
Nwabunike lamented that the issue of social distancing, provision of water for people to wash hand, sanitizers and masks were neglected by the service providers.
Uche on the other hand said that if not for the Executive Secretary of NSC, Mr Hassan Bello and his management team who were on the field to talk to the service providers, clearing at the ports would not have been possible.
Uche said that following the problems experienced on the first few days of clearing when the lockdown started, stakeholders in the industry, including agencies of government set up COVID-19 Task Team which went round to be able to address issues on hand.
“Hassan Bello has been with us since the lockdown started rallying round to ensure that those who have essential goods to clear at the ports do so. He was talking to the banks, shipping companies and terminal operators and other agencies so that clearing at the ports went on smoothly.
“Where we have problems has been with the shipping companies and terminal operators and banks. All of the operators offered skeletal services. This has been the problem for our members to pay customs duties, purchase drafts for the payment of shipping companies and terminal dues”, he said.
Uche named Access Bank, First Bank, UBA, FCMB, GTB and Fidelity Bank as among the banks that opened for business.
He accused the Customs Service of failing to understand that there was an emergency by insisting on getting alerts on duties or confirmation of payments before they conduct examination.
He added, “We had to talk to Customs. But we have also been having issues with shipping companies to raise drafts to pay dues and terminal charges. It is the same generating debit notes (DN) which are online and our people are not used to it. Initially, when you pay online, the possibility of getting instant confirmation was not always there, so some agents prefer raising drafts which automatically turn to cash and they issue you receipt. Right now, the issue of online payment is causing us problem because most times the shipping companies confirm the payment and generate receipts of payment. This is necessary to get the terminal delivery order for agents to take delivery”.
In all however, the NAGAFF President commended the Shippers Council for coming to the aid of the freight forwarders to clear goods at the ports, adding that this the Council did after providing buses that covered all the Lagos routes.
Uche said, “NSC has been wonderful. The entire team has been wonderful. The Council led by Bello visited most of the terminals. It was Bello who came up with the idea on how we can follow the Presidential Directive on COVID-19 and clear goods. If he had not provided buses and moved round the ports to talk to the shipping companies and terminal operators, including appealing to banks, we would not have done anything at all. But I must say that I expected this from Bello because he is an industry person and he knows what is involved. He has been so proactive to ensure that everything worked well at the ports.
“He threatened to sanction some of the shipping companies when he observed the way the freight forwarders were being treated. In these shipping companies, they failed to provide conducive places for agents to stay. These shipping companies later adjusted and provided conducive environment for the freight forwarders”.
Similarly, Nwabunike also commended the NSC CEO and his team on the effort so far.
“Honestly, I must confess to you that the NSC has done well. Bello has worked himself out. He has tried to encourage us to continue . He is always in touch monitoring the situation. His Council provided enough vehicles. If not for him and his team, clearing at such a critical time would have been a total failure”.
The ANLCA President condemned the banks, shipping companies and terminal operators for failing to provide hand sanitizes, water for washing hands and masks, saying this was without consideration the danger of coronavirus pandemic.
According to him, Bello has continued to reach out to the service providers and promised that there will be an improvement.
Also commenting on the efforts of the NSC, the former President of ANLCA, Chief Ernest Elochukwu, said it has proven itself as the ports economic regulator.
Elochukwu said what has happened was that the shipping companies were not ready to make sacrifices, adding that this was the reason for foot-dragging in granting waivers on demurrage.
“The impression being given is that every service provider is ready to make sacrifice, but this is not so. Some of the shipping companies are not ready to make sacrifices”, he said.
It would be recalled that the Council had Friday directed shipping companies to suspend demurrage charges on goods at the ports in view of the difficulties which importers and their customs agents have been encountering in clearing them since the federal government announced a lockdown in Lagos, Ogun states and Abuja as part of the measures to check the spread of the ravaging coronavirus.
The suspension of the demurrage would take effect from 30th March 2020, and will strictly apply to cargo that was discharged at the terminals from the 30th of March.
Already, some of the shipping companies have indicated readiness to comply with the directive.
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