NSC, FCCPC partner to tackle arbitrary port charges, trade practices
By Seun Ibiyemi
The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) on Tuesday announced a partnership with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to monitor port charges and trade practices at the nation’s ports and inland dry ports in order to avoid a situation where port users are exploited through Arbitrary port charges.
Speaking on Tuesday during a sensitisation programme for stakeholders on Consumer Rights and Responsibilities in the Ports and Shipping sector, Executive Secretary of the NSC, Honourable Emmanuel Jime said that this is the first in the series of sensitisation programmes scheduled to hold, to enlighten stakeholders of their rights and responsibilities in the course of carrying out their activities at the ports.
According to the NSC Executive Secretary, “On Thursday, 20th of January 2022, the NSC in Abuja at the CFCCPC Headquarters signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Commission to collaborate and work together on specific areas of concern to both agencies in the shipping and ports industry.
“The idea was to bring sanity in the conduct of shipping and ports business to ensure harmony, fair trade practices and efficiency in the sector.
“The NSC/FCCPC MOU is set to achieve an effective collaboration in the protection of providers and consumers of shipping and ports services with a view to establishing a Consumer Protection Regime (CPR) in the shipping and ports sector in Nigeria.
“This cooperation and collaboration, in the discharge of our respective functions, will entail the encouragement of competition and consumer protection; Prosecution of erring service providers and users; sharing of information and intelligence, consumer education and awareness as well as enforcement and compliance.
“The CPR when instituted will address infringements by service providers and users in the industry as well as enthrone sanity and fair-trade practices in the system section.
“The sensitisation exercise we are having today is in line with part 5.1.5 of the MOU which states that parties shall jointly or individually, sensitise and enlighten the consumers and stakeholders on the rights and responsibilities in relation to shipping matters.
“We plan to conduct sensitisation exercises at various port and inland locations to get necessary inputs from stakeholders on how the industry can operate seamlessly with little or no infringement on the rights of users and providers of shipping and port services.
“This is to ensure that all stakeholders are carried along in the process of developing the CPR so as to build trust and confidence before rolling out the scheme.
“As we are all aware, the shipping industry comprises various players who in the course of daily transactions are bound to trample and infringe on each other’s rights.
“These players have rights that are spelt out in the FCCPC Act to include, among others: The right to be informed about the quality, quantity, potency, standards and charges/rates of services as the case may be so as to protect the consumer against unfair trade practices; the right to be assured wherever possible, access to a variety of services at competitive prices; the right to seek redress against unfair trade practices or restrictive trade practices or unscrupulous exploitation of consumers of shipping services and the right to consumer education, enlightenment and information on services availability.
“The sector as of today looks as if there is chaos everywhere. However, when the CPR becomes fully operational, we expect a change of behaviour in the conduct of shipping and ports business in Nigeria.
“It was in order to address the observed challenges and unwholesome practices in the sector that the Federal
The government of Nigeria appointed NSC as the Ports Economic Regulator, to create an effective regulatory regime at Nigerian Ports for the control of tariffs, rates, charges and other related economic services.
“Although the various sections of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (Port Economic) regulation 2015, adequately provide NSC with sufficient power to monitor and enforce its regulatory mandate for compliance by the various players, our resolve to collaborate with the FCPCC is to explore avenues towards strengthening the enforcement of the mandates of the two agencies (NSC and FCPCC).
“Working together, we will be sharing information, carrying out investigations and enforcement together etc. on issues that one agency may not adequately handle alone.”
