Nigerian Shippers Council Bans Illegal Port Charges
The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) has urged ports service providers to stop the collection of any illegal charges not statutorily approved, says a Council press statement. The council will continue to protect the interest of the Nigerian shippers by making the operating environment conducive for business.
The council’s decisions as challenged by the service providers and upheld by a federal high court must be carried out with full compliance, says Ignatius Nweke, the Deputy Director, Public Relations, Nigerian Shippers Council
Importers and freight forwarders at the nation’s ports must assist the council to compile all the illegal charges being collected by the terminal operators and shipping companies, he said. The council would bring the full weight of the law against all those who disobeyed the lawful order of the federal high court.
Any illegal fees or charges collected by the affected shipping companies and terminal operators would be refunded, Nweke assured.
Meanwhile, 12 shipping companies in the Association of Shipping Line Agents launched two separate multi-plaintiff actions against the NSC, as well as an injunction stopping it from implementing the new legislation.
The first case ranged against the appointment of the NSC as the port’s economic regulator, arguing that the position was held by the National Ports Authority of Nigeria and the government could not change the regulator without new legislation. The second action argued that the NSC’s order was beyond its powers.
