Overbilling demurrage: Shippers 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. A statement emailed to Daily Trust said 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.
According to the statement, among those who were part of the enforcement exercise were officers from Regulatory Services Department, Complaints Unit and Public Relations Unit of the Council. “Cosco Shipping was accused of failing to comply with an earlier reached agreement at a tripartite meeting held at the NSC Headquarters, Apapa, Lagos. 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 NSC gave 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.
Following this, Cosco Shipping agreed to all the terms and conditions and to issue two cheques before the end of the month, explaining that the company’s financial controller who is to sign them travelled with the CEO. After signing an undertaking, the premises were however opened for transactions.
The statement added that the management of Sunflag Steel Ltd were very grateful to the NSC for getting back their unpaid overbilling demurrage on some containers.
The NSC’s statement expressed displeasure at non-compliant attitudes of some stakeholders, warning that it will not hesitate to sanction any erring shipping company.