Vincent Toritseju
Lagos — The leadership of the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, has commenced moves to move against the collection of barging fees in Dollars, a development barge operators said is eating into their profit and discouraging Nigerians from engaging in the business.
Speaking at the just concluded breakfast meeting hosted by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria, MARAN, Executive Secretary of the Council, Mr. Emmanuel Jime said that it is illegal for any agency to collect any fee in Nigeria.
Jime also said that the Council will take it up with the appropriate authority and ensure that the practice is stopped.
He explained that the Council will initiate the process of engaging with the Nigerian Ports Authority with a view to resolving the matter.
He said: “I also would like to urge the barging operators to bring this up formerly with the Nigerian Shippers Council because to the best of my knowledge that information is not available to us. Now that I have now been given first-hand information today, as I as go back, we also activate our internal processes to examine this situation with a view to addressing it frontally.
“I will not wait for you anymore to give me a formal request, I will take this as a formal request that has been given to us. But I want to assure you as far as landside charges are concern, they cannot and should never be denominated in Dollar.
Earlier in his comment, President of the Barge Operators Association of Nigeria, BOAN, Comrade Olubunmi Olumeku said that the group will work the Council to ensure that the dollarization of barging fee.
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