Terminal operators blame information gap for discord with agents
By Godfrey Bivbere
THE discord between terminal operators, otherwise known as concessionaires freight forwarders have been blamed on breakdowm in communication.
Disclosing this in Lagos, Chairman of the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Princess (Dr.) Vicky Haastrup, pledged to work with the freight forwarders, whom she described as a highly professional set of people and important stakeholders, in achieving high productivity at the ports.
She stated this when freight forwarders under the auspices of the Joint Action Committee of Freight Forwarders (JACOFF); an amalgamation of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), the National Association of Government Approved (NAGAFF) and the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA); paid her a courtesy visit.
Haastrup reiterated the commitment of the various terminal operators at the port to capital investment and improvement of port operations.
She said that terminal operators were compelled, in 2006, to slash terminal handling charges by 33.3% as part of the sacrifice they had to make to reduce the cost of doing business at the ports. She however lamented that the terminal operators had not increased their charges since 2006 even in the face of high inflation and exchange rates.
She said it was no longer realistic to charge the same thing as was being charged in 2006.
“We have not increased charges since 2006 despite the high cost of fuelling our generators, increased wages and overhead, year_on_year inflation and higher exchange rates. If you factor all these in, you will see that we are even losing money and this is made worse by the economic downturn which has significantly affected the cargo volume”, the STOAN boss stated.
She said that it has become imperative for the terminal operators to increase charges to stay afloat and to continue investing. In his own remark at the meeting, Chairman of JACOFF and National President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, pledge their support for Terminal operators.
The JACOFF Chairman expressed hope that the new found cooperation between STOAN and JACOFF members will help boost the growth and development of the nation’s seaports. “We need each other and we will achieve more by working together than by being at each other’s throat”, Shittu stated. Other members of JACOFF on the freight forwarders’ visiting team include the National President of NAGAFF, Mr. Eugene Nweke, the National President of NCMDLCA, Chief Festus Ejiofor and other executive members of the various member associations of JACOFF.
Also present at the meeting were Managing Director of Apapa Bulk Terminal Limited and Vice Chairman of STOAN, Captain Emmanuel Omotayo, Managing Director of APM Terminals Apapa Limited, Mr. Dallas Hampton and Managing Director of Ports and Terminal Operators (Nigeria) Limited (PTOL), Mrs. Lizzy Ovbude.
A committee made up of three members each from STOAN and JACOFF was set up to come up with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will serve as a working document for both parties.
