The national president, Association of Nigeria License Customs Agent (ANLCA), Mr. Iju Tony Nwabunike, has called on freight forwarders to take advantage of the 21-day waiver on rent charges and full port operations during the public holidays to exit their cargoes from the ports.
Nwabunike made this call in a statement made available to The NEXT EDITION.
Nwabunike gave an update of the latest developments in the maritime sector as he promised his members in the freight forwarding profession that he would continue to do so from time to time.
He said: “The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) asked all customs brokers and freight forwarders who have finalised all payments of duties and ready to load their cargoes to do so as the customs will allow exit of such cargoes from the ports during the public holidays from Friday 10 – Monday 13, April 2020.
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“The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has also issued mandate letters to terminal operators for waiver of rent charges for initial period of 21 days, effective March 23, 2020.
The letter was dated April 2, 2020 and titled, ‘Relief Measures To Port Users Due To Outbreak Of COVID-19, read in part: “Following the scourge of COVID-19 pandemic and in line with the global trend of providing reliefs to businesses for the benefits of the general populace, you are hereby directed to suspend rent charges on consignments with effect from Monday, March 23, 2020 for an initial period of 21 days.
“Dear colleagues, with these two critical trade windows given us by the government agencies involved, I want to implore all of you to effectively grab this opportunity and move your consignments from the ports of Lagos as fast as you can, while the window last.”
He assured that the leadership of ANLCA would, especially at this period, liaise with all relevant government agencies and other port stakeholders to make sure members would not suffer undue losses, and also appeal to them to always follow the right channels of information so they would not be deprived or short-changed by any agency during this period.
