Man, Others Unite To Fight Increase in Freight Cost

Manufacturers and major stakeholders in the country have agreed to join forces to fight against the $250 extra charge on imports into the country by shipping companies, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can now reveal.
The $250 extra charge which will amount to increase in freight cost is expected to take effect from April 1, 2010.
The fight with strong backings from Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (Man), National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture(Naccima), and the Port Consultative Committee is to ensure that charges collected at various ports of entry in the country are not duplicated.
Before now, stakeholders in the industry have been clamouring for the harmonization of port charges with the newly introduced Cargo Tracking Note (CTN) levy.
Tunde Oyelola, vice president of Man, in an interview said the $250 extra charge on imports into the country by shipping companies, in addition to the 50 Euro charged as CTN levy amounts to multiple charges at the ports.
According to Oyelola, manufacturers are bearing the cost and instead of the 50 Euro CTN levy operators are charged between $400 and $700.
“We the manufacturers are calling on the authorities concerned to do something about the multiple charges in the ports and also ensure that CTN levy is paid per bill of lading instead of per container” he said.
Also speaking on the issue, Alhaji Suleiman Hameen, vice president of Naccima, said operators will continue to fight for paying per bill of lading, instead of paying per container, because in other countries like Senegal and Cameroon where the system is being operated now, they don’t charge per container, they charge per bill of lading, as one bill of lading can have up to 100 containers, thereby reducing the charge.
Hameen, who is also the acting chairman, port industry anti-corruption standing committee and member of the technical committee on the CTN, said his committee will try to harmonize the charges to ensure that all port charges are reduced.