Vincent Toritseju
24 January 2018, Sweetcrude, Lagos — The Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, has said that it is currently engaging the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and the Federal Ministry of Finance over the new policy on palletization of cargoes.
Responding to questions from stakeholders on the added cost of palletization at the ongoing Multimodal West Africa conference in Lagos, Executive Secretary of the Council, Mr. Hassan Bello said that palletization is a normal practice in international trade adding that the Council will ensure its full involvement in the formulation of the policy.
Bello said that the Council has stopped the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Finance from bringing out the palletization policy because it must contain the contributions of stakeholders.
He also explained that palletization comes with an additional cost on cargo as well as the fact that it also has environmental hazards.
“There are risks attached to the issue of palletization, it has a cost implication and environmental hazards.
“Containerization gives room for compromise, we are still engaging the CBN and Finance ministry over the matter.
“We want the contributions of stakeholders to the policy before it comes out palletization is not a Nigerian thing but an international trade practice .”
The Council boss explained that containerization gives room for compromise particularly when personal goods are involved.
Explaining further, Bello said that in as much as palletization may come at an additional cost, it ease examination of cargo as 100 percent is tedious, time wasting and costly.
Also speaking at the Conference themed “Ease of doing business and strengthening investors confidence’, the Chairperson of the Seaport Terminal Association, STOAN, Princess Vicky Hastrupp said that government must provide certainty and predictability for businesses to grow.
“You have to woo investors to come to your country by making the business environment encouraging as Nigeria has a high yield on investment”.
