EXTORTION: ANLCA Queries Wharf Landing Fees Collection, Wants LASG To Digitalise Process

The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has called on the Lagos State Government  to stop championing extortion of imported fairly used vehicles along the port corridors and automate levies and charges payable on the controversies Wharf Land Fee.

 

The licensed customs brokers association further lamented that  collectors of the Wharf Landing Fees concurrently impede the flow of traffic along the ports corridor, while other hoodlums take the advantage to perpetrate all manners of illegalities within the Apapa axis.

 

Speaking at a stakeholders meeting held at the weekend in Lagos, Secretary General, ANLCA, Alhaji Mukaila  Abdulazeez Babatunde

called on the state government to digitalise the process of collection in furtherance to dismantle collection points by operatives , noting that in the process of collection, imported vehicles have been allegedly vandalised and drivers attacked.

 

The ANLCA Scribe reiterated that the Lagos State Government had pioneered taxes and levies collection online but expressed worries over the poor mechanisms put in place for Wharf Landing Fees collection.

 

Babatunde maintained that the Wharf Landing Fees team contributes majorly to the gridlock along the seaports corridor and Apapa  stressing the need for online payment for the fee collection.

 

He alleged that at every junction within the transcending local government areas linking the ports, operatives of the fee collections are allegedly seen with harmful items in a bid to collect the Wharf Landing Fees from freight agents and drivers.

 

The ANLCA Chieftain told the Commissioner of Transportation present at the meeting to look inward and find lasting solutions to the collection of the levies as part of efforts to eradicating human contact along the corridor.

 

He said ” Our observation is this, Lagos State Government pioneer tax collection and everything payable online but I wonder why we still have Wharf Landing Fees collection.

 

“We want everything to be done at the port before exit and not after after exit.

 

 

Earlier the Commissioner of Transportation,Lagos State, Fredrick Oladeinde said the  state has concessioned  the 31 hectares Ahmed Bola Tinubu Park which would serve as holding bay for about 2,000 trucks accessing the seaports .

He said the state government promised to support the Ports Standing Task Team to ease the port corridors from traffic adding that the intelligence gathering and information sharing would be one area of commitment.