Shippers Council bemoans charges by shipping lines

The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) has expressed concerns over the imposition of multiple charges by multinational shipping lines.

The ports economic regulator is particularly worried that most of the surcharges are imposed on Nigerian shippers contrary to the provisions of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The Executive Secretary, NSC, Mr. Hassan Bello who described the multiple charges as unjustifiable said the Council will take the matter up with the Global Shippers Forum (GSF) to call the different shipping lines and their agents to order.

Bello explained that while some of the charges were supposed to be temporary, reduced or cancelled as allowed by UNCTAD and as the situation in the ports changes, the shipping lines have maintained a permanent imposition of the charges on helpless shippers.

He said what is worrisome is that even incidents of piracy that have nothing to do with Nigeria are given different colorations in what is targeted at placing a surcharge on cargoes coming to Nigeria.

He said, “Everything that happens, even if it is in Togo or Benin Republic, it is attributed to have taken place in Nigeria. Even local infractions like somebody just enters the ship illegally even without weapons, it is reported as incidence of piracy. But that is not piracy, it is probably robbery incident. Piracy is total command of the ship on the high sea.”