Maritime
Terminal operators justified in raising charges — Farinto
Former acting National President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Dr Kayode Farinto, says terminal operators are justified in raising their charges.
Farinto, in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday, noted that the raising of terminal charges was due to the rising cost of diesel, declining value of the Naira and high rate of inflation, among other factors.
According to Farinto, the indices of working in the port now are not as it used to be as things have changed.
“The terminal operators too are Nigerians and if we juxtapose what is happening vis-a-vis the fact that there has been an increment in prices of fuel and the dollar has risen, so there has to be a rise in their charges too.
“We are in an era where you cannot predict the dollar and these people are rendering services so it becomes inevitable for them to increase. Nobody should be criticised for that.
“But I want to commend them because they are coming late in increasing their charges because I know that if it were to be the old operators, they would have increased the charges. There is nothing anyone can do about it,” he said.
Farinto also charged the Federal Government to repair the dilapidated port access roads to reduce the hardship faced by importers and their agents.
“It was in the concession agreement that the government will provide electricity 24/7 but this has not been made available. It is still the same terminal operators that are providing electricity.
“Secondly, the government must put in place all the roads that are dilapidated, particularly the access road to the seaports and I have also said that it is high time we delineated the port area.
“As we speak, we do not know which area is the port area and that is why we have miscreants encroaching on the port area.
“In delineating the port area, let us start from Ijora and if it’s along Mile 2, port area starts from Mile 2. After delineating the port area, they will also do geo-fencing so as to monitor the port area to secure people’s properties,” he said.
He noted that if the government was able to perform its responsibility, there would be no dollarisation of collecting money from terminal operators.
Farinto added that this was because as the terminal operators pay in dollars, they would also transfer the increase to storage tariff.
He also commended the government for lifting the forex ban on 43 items, which could hitherto not access foreign exchange on the official market.
Farinto said the ban caused inflation and encouraged false declaration in cargo clearance.
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council and the National Judicial Institute are set to jointly host the 17th International Maritime Seminar for Judges.
Mrs Rebecca Adamu, Assistant Director of Public Relations at the council, said this in a statement on Saturday in Lagos.
According to the statement, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, will chair the seminar.
She also said that Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State would be the Special Guest of Honour.
Adamu noted that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council operates under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
She stated that the three-day seminar would take place in Abuja from Tuesday, July 9 to July 11.
“The objective of the seminar is to update the knowledge of participants on contemporary issues, particularly in International Maritime Law and Admiralty Practice as they impact Nigeria and the West African Sub-region.
“The participants include justices, judges, in-house counsel, legal practitioners and captains of the maritime industry,” Adamu said.
By Seun Ibiyemi
The Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) recently hosted a delegation from the international headquarters of the Mission to Seafarers (MTS), assuring that the association will continue to offer support to seafarers.
The delegation, led by the regional director, MTS African Region, Rev. Cedric Rautenbach, also included the Chaplain of MTS Lagos, Rev. Canon Bimbo Aduroja and the Assistant Chaplain of MTS Lagos, Rev. Emmanuel Ilori.
Speaking during the visit, the Chairman of STOAN, Princess Vicky Haastrup, assured the delegation of the support of terminal operators in the fulfilment of the mission of MTS.
“The work of seafarers is a noble one. Without seafarers, there is no ship, and without ship, there are no ports. Seafarers work for all of us. They are on the ship for months on a stretch without going home to their families and loved ones.
“Terminal operators will always support the MTS in their effort to support seafarers. We commend the Mission to Seafarers for all that you are doing for them. You deserve our support,” Princess Haastrup said.
She particularly commended MTS for supporting seafarers in terms of addressing fatigue, facilitating communication, during ship abandonment, mental health challenges, ship robbery and piracy attacks, shipwrecks, injury and through many other challenges.
“Your work is enormous and commendable. You can count on our support,” she said.
The STOAN chairman assured the visiting MTS team that all other terminal operators will be mobilised to render assistance, grant access and support to the charity organisation.
Also speaking, the executive director of ENL Consortium, Mark Walsh, said over the years, the terminal has been supportive of the activities of MTS Lagos in its area of operation at the port.
He said ENL will continue to support the cause of MTS by exploring ways of removing barriers on the paths of visiting seafarers who wish to interact with MTS personnel for necessary care and support.
The executive director of Port and Cargo Handling Services, Captain Ibraheem Olugbade, who also attended the meeting, equally reassured MTS of full support of the terminal in the discharge of its duties.
Other terminal operators also commended MTS for its selfless service to seafarers and assured the team of their support.
Speaking earlier, the Regional Director, MTS African Region, Revd Cedric Rautenbach, said the purpose of the visit was to discuss issues affecting the activities of the charity organisation and how seaport terminal operators can further assist in fulfilling its mission.
He said terminal operators are essential to the services rendered to seafarers on board ships visiting Nigeria.
He assured that MTS operates on sound principles, and works closely with government agencies and terminal operators to cater to the needs of seafarers across the world.
“We want to work with everyone, and we will comply with the regulations,” he assured.
By Seun Ibiyemi
Nigerian Ports Authority has emerged as one of the best agencies in the just concluded Cohort #3 of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).
The Ministry of Marine and Blue & Economy also emerged as the Best Performing Ministry in the delivery of the reform activities.
In recognition of the dedication to driving the reforms, the Authority is acknowledged as “The Most Committed” agency with the highest number of reform activities—63—double the average number of activities for other MDAs and nonetheless achieved a 100 percent feat.
The impact of these reforms is far-reaching and will improve the overall effectiveness of the ports.
The most significant reform under cohort #3 is the reduction in export processing time after benchmarking against competing jurisdictions.
The authority can reduce its processing time for exports from an average of 10 days to a timeline of 3-5 days, depending on the arrival of the lifting vessel.
Other reforms include ensuring transparency, reduced costs, and streamlined processes.
The Managing Director, Mohammed Bello Koko, strongly commended the leadership role of the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Alh Adegboyega Oyetola, the support of the Executive Management, Senior Management, and the BFA Reform Team of the Authority, in achieving a comprehensive reform agenda for the port industry.
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