Nigerian Ports Authority
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) on Friday called for negotiation with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to achieve a reduction of tariffs at ports.
The Executive Secretary of the NSC, Mr Hassan Bello, made the call in Lagos during a courtesy visit to NPA’s headquarters in Lagos.
Bello said the negotiation would involve dialogue and constant meetings with the authority to proffer solutions to tariff increase at the ports.
He commended the authority for the introduction of the e-payment and e-berthing systems which had been improving maritime services.
The executive secretary said the e-payment system was in line with international standards.
“There is capital improvement in dredging of channels which indicates that the Nigerian maritime services are moving gradually to be the hub in West Africa.
“NPA should consider multiple access roads while contracting out access roads leading to the Lekki Deep seaport, so that the constant gridlock happening in Apapa and Tin-Can ports will not persist at Lekki.
“Constant dredging of Nigerian waters has enabled bigger vessels to visit our ports,” the executive secretary said.
Bello acknowledged that Nigerian ports had been having huge traffic of cargo coming in.
He urged NPA to look into expansion of port access roads as well as roads linking various terminals and quay aprons in the terminals.
Bello said that the continuous gridlock on the ports’ access roads had affected efficiency at the ports, adding that the NSC was interested in reduction of the costs of doing business at ports.
He requested that NPA should provide offices where officials of the NSC could carry out some of their functions.
“To decongest the ports access road, we want to see 70 per cent of cargo moved through the off- dock terminals by promoting the Inland Container Depots.
“The ICD is a place where you load and discharge cargo but the only difference is that there …Read More
Source:: PM Newspaper
