By Seun Ibiyemi
In an effort to alleviate the economic burden on exporters using the Tin-Can Island Container Terminal (TICT) at the Tin-Can Island Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), the country’s port economic regulator, has directed TICT to cease charging delivery fees on all export cargoes.
The NSC has instructed TICT to ensure that all tariff invoices for export transactions bearing “Delivery Charges” are permanently removed.
This directive follows a complaint lodged by Harlink Investment Limited, an exporter, against TICT.
During a mediation meeting held on Monday, Mr. Ambi Mohammed, Head of the Complaints Unit at the NSC, explained that the Council had received a complaint from Harlink Investment Limited. The company alleged that TICT had imposed delivery fees on several of its export containers, including: EBKG08175277, EBKG08219074, EBKG08230998, EBLG08244049, EBKG08244050, EBGK08261890, EBKG08317967, EBKG08317968, EBKG0335997, EBKG08374698, EBKG08396392, EBKG08476390, EBKG08656664, and EBKG08740013.
The mediation meeting, convened by the NSC, was attended by Alhaji Nofiu Inaolaji, Managing Director/CEO of Harlink Investment Limited, who also served as the complainant. TICT was represented by Messrs. Tunde Owoeye and Merit Eshameh.
In response to a letter from the Market Analysis and Tariff Administration Division of the Regulatory Services Department, the Complaints Unit instructed TICT to discontinue the delivery charges and to review the charges already collected from Harlink Investment Limited.
TICT representatives apologised during the meeting and assured that the charges would be removed following the mediation intervention.
Inaolaji expressed his appreciation to the NSC for its intervention, reiterating his request for the discontinuation of the charges.
After an hour and a half of deliberations, the meeting reached the following resolutions: TICT was instructed to remove delivery charges from all export cargo invoices; TICT was to refund the delivery charges already paid by Harlink Investment Limited and update the NSC accordingly; and, at the consignor’s discretion, the refundable sum of N804,121.04 would be waived.
The NSC also encouraged Harlink Investment Limited to maintain its cordial business relationship with TICT.
The Council commended both parties for their cooperation and positive contributions towards the amicable resolution of the issue.