Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin Lagos — In a significant move to promote fair trade practices, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, NSC, has successfully mediated a dispute between Maersk Line and the Federal Produce Inspection Service, FPIS.
The head of Complaint Unit, Dr. Bahiru Ambi said the issue began when Maersk Line received a notification from FPIS stating that their container fumigation services would be terminated, affecting their business operations.
During the mediation meeting, Mrs. Nwachukwu Victoria, Deputy Director of FPIS, commended NSC for their timely intervention and expressed her desire to resolve the issue once and for all, given the federal government’s interest in revenue generation. However, she also criticized Maersk Line’s nonchalant attitude towards responding to their letters and mails.
Rosemary Bose David, Head of Operations at Maersk Line, apologized for the delayed responses, citing the transfer of the person in charge to another department. She also requested an extension of the time frame to receive invoices, as it takes time to reconcile containers.
After thorough deliberation, the NSC Complaint Unit passed a resolution in line with the Automated Dispute Resolution, ADR, mechanism. To enhance communication, Maersk Line agreed to attach a dedicated officer to FPIS, with a copy of the agreement sent to both parties for proper documentation.
Maersk Line has also committed to paying the outstanding debt of December 2023-May 2034 to FPIS.
Additionally, the company will prioritize containers with agro-allied products, making payments within a quarter and submitting fresh documents within the same timeframe.
FPIS, in turn, is encouraged to continue patronizing Maersk Line by fumigating their containers and utilizing the dedicated holding bays provided at Unity, GM Terminals, and Sifax Ijora.
This resolution demonstrates the NSC’s commitment to promoting fair trade practices and resolving disputes in the maritime industry.
