Clearing Agents ‘Attack’ Shippers’Council, Say Agency Biting More Than It Can Chew For daring to announce that it is working towards barring non-Nigerians from engaging in the practice of freight forwarding in Nigeria, some licensed customs agents in the maritime sector have come hard on the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, saying that it is suffering from misplaced priorities.
Leading the pack of the antagonists, in a chat with Shipping Position Daily, a former Chairman of the Tin Can Island Port Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA); Mr Kayode Farinto said that taking on the task of indigenization of freight forwarding may consume the Shippers Council.
Rather, Farinto suggested that the Council should push the responsibility to the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) as the body saddled with the responsibility of regulating freight forwarding, while the Shippers Council concentrates on reverting the high charges being collected by terminal operators and shipping companies.
He stressed that the indigenization of freight forwarding is long overdue, but argued that, it is not the duty of the Shippers Council.
"It is the responsibility of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria to implement by bringing out an executive bill which will become a law", he stated.
Arguing further, he maintained that, "Shippers Council is biting more than what it can chew, it cannot indigenize freight forwarding, let shippers Council regulate the various charges in the industry first; vis a vis shipping company and terminal operators charges, if they can do this in 2015, it will be a big achievement".
"But now, they want to regulate shipping companies, freight forwarders, new port order, and they are now coming out with indigenization, let them take things one step at a time, it will help them" Farinto advised.
According to him, the Nigeria Customs Service might not be too bothered about the job of Nigerians being snatched by foreigners, but CRFFN can push for a law to stop them.
He noted that indigenization has been effected in Benin Republic many years ago, and that if that country can achieve it, so can Nigeria. He however warned that without the enabling laws, there is nothing that can be done because the so called foreigners are well organized and they will drag CRFFN to court.
"The job is beyond shippers’council, if you give it to them, you just want them to collapse, let them tackle the problems of illegal charges first" he insisted.
Also speaking with our correspondent, the Publicity Secretary of National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA); Mr. Festus Ukwu made case for the CRFFN to take over the indigenization of freight forwarding.
He said that CRFFN should be given licensing regulation powers. According to him, it is not the Nigeria Customs Service that should issue licenses to custom brokers, but the CRFFN.
"Since the government has empowered the CRFFN as the body to regulate freight forwarding practice, they should be allowed to issue licenses, they should be empowered to handle everything freight forwarding and licenses" Ukwu said.http://shippingposition.com.ng/article/pushing-indigenisation-freight-forwarding-0
"It is the responsibility of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria to implement by bringing out an executive bill which will become a law", he stated.
Arguing further, he maintained that, "Shippers Council is biting more than what it can chew, it cannot indigenize freight forwarding, let shippers Council regulate the various charges in the industry first; vis a vis shipping company and terminal operators charges, if they can do this in 2015, it will be a big achievement".
"But now, they want to regulate shipping companies, freight forwarders, new port order, and they are now coming out with indigenization, let them take things one step at a time, it will help them" Farinto advised.
According to him, the Nigeria Customs Service might not be too bothered about the job of Nigerians being snatched by foreigners, but CRFFN can push for a law to stop them.
He noted that indigenization has been effected in Benin Republic many years ago, and that if that country can achieve it, so can Nigeria. He however warned that without the enabling laws, there is nothing that can be done because the so called foreigners are well organized and they will drag CRFFN to court.
"The job is beyond shippers’council, if you give it to them, you just want them to collapse, let them tackle the problems of illegal charges first" he insisted.
Also speaking with our correspondent, the Publicity Secretary of National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA); Mr. Festus Ukwu made case for the CRFFN to take over the indigenization of freight forwarding.
He said that CRFFN should be given licensing regulation powers. According to him, it is not the Nigeria Customs Service that should issue licenses to custom brokers, but the CRFFN.
"Since the government has empowered the CRFFN as the body to regulate freight forwarding practice, they should be allowed to issue licenses, they should be empowered to handle everything freight forwarding and licenses" Ukwu said.http://shippingposition.com.ng/article/pushing-indigenisation-freight-forwarding-0
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