Overbilling demurrage charges: Council seals Cosco premises

The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement Division, has recovered $23,000.00 from Cosco Shipping Company as overbilling demurrage charges for Sunflag Steel Limited, in Lagos.

The Deputy Director, Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement Division, Chief Cajetan Agu recently led the team that sealed off the premises of the shipping company in Apapa Lagos, for over 3 hours, a statement from the NSC said.

Among those who were part of the enforcement exercise were officers from Regulatory Services Department, Complaints Unit and Public Relations Unit of the Council.

It noted that Cosco Shipping was accused of failing to comply with an earlier reached agreement at a tripartite meeting held at the NSC Headquarters, Apapa, Lagos.

It said Comet Shipping which is a tenant in the same building with Cosco Shipping Line was affected by the action of the ports regulator, although the Council had nothing against the company.

Following the development, the Group Managing Director of Comet Shipping, Mr P.L.Carrodano had pleaded with Shippers’ Council team and requested for an immediate emergency meeting to resolve the grievances.

The Council gave the shipping company (Cosco) a condition that it must write an undertaking “stating the period of refund, and two cheques be raised in favour of the Consignee and NSC pending when the Liner will clarify the differences from their sister company in Ghana”.