NIGERIAN importers and traders, Wednesday, gave reasons for patronizing ports of neighbouring countries to the detriment of Nigerian ports, saying “duty rates in neighbouring ports are far lower than what obtains in Nigeria.”
Speaking at a sensitization workshop on “Sustaining import/export business through awareness rules and procedures,” importers and traders at the International Trade Fair complex along the Badagry expressway in Lagos said high duty cost, delayed process and transfer of containers by terminal operators without importers’ consent were some of the reasons they had abandoned the Nigerian ports.
They said wrongly assessed Risk Assessment Reports (RAR) by some of the service providers had also dampened their confidence in the Nigerian port system.
According to Mr. Arinze Ezeani, Chairman of the wine beverages and provision section of the traders in the complex said the ports in Nigeria were too expensive for them (importers) to clear goods, adding that the shipping companies and terminal charges are sometimes higher than the duty they pay on their goods.
Ezeani explained these terminal operators and shipping companies employ delay tactics to ensure that their cargoes run into demurrage that they are compelled to pay.
He disclosed that about 30% of the goods they clear from neigbhouring port are lost in the cause of moving them to Nigeria.
Mr, Henry Chioke, a freight forwarder said that most times, goods cleared from other ports are hundred percent lower 100% lower than when they clear their goods from Nigerian ports.
He also noted that most of the transferred containers are done without the consent of the importers but the importer is made to pay for the cost of transfer a practice that brought about additional cost of clearance.
They urged government to look into high cost of doing business at the nation’s ports as hugh revenue is lost on an annual basis as a result of the continued patronage of other ports.
Assuring the importers of government efforts in addressing the issues they have raised, the Director in charge of the Commercial Shipping Department of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) Mrs. Dabney Shall-holma said that the Council is tackling the issue of shipping and terminal charges head on adding that these shipping firms will soon begin to transfer containers at their cost.
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