NAGAFF: 100% Compliance Team To Hold Two- Day Workshop On Port Challenges 

Apparently determined to resolve the anomalies affecting smooth cargo clearance from the seaports, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) 100% Compliance Taskforce has indicated interest to organise a two-day workshop in furtherance to bring stakeholders together from the maritime sector.

 

The workshop is to x-ray some of the bottleneck in cargo clearance , cost of doing business at the nation’s seaports and other burning issues associated with shipping and trade.

 

 

 

National Co-ordinator, of the Compliance Team, Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko who disclosed this on Wednesday in Lagos ,stated that the essence of the workshop is aimed at identifying the challenges faced by operators adding that major operators in the industry should deliberate on burning issues associated with trade facilitation.

 

Tanko noted that topical issues like causes of demurrage, late refunds of containers deposits, barge operations, rail container transfer to Inland Container Depots (ICDs) Practitioners Operating Fee (POF), the new e-call up system (ETO), process of transire  and issue of Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Valuation will be discussed at the workshop.

 

He said “There is the need for us to have this kind of workshop for the interest of all stakeholders instead of fighting us.

 

“I think with this workshop we  will be able to deliberate on the issues affecting our sector.

 

“This workshop will find a way out of the quagmire we find ourselves because it is obvious that we are having duplication of functions among the agencies and the stakeholders.

 

According to him, the workshop is not compulsory for stakeholders to attend but added that it will go a long way to proffer solutions to some of the problems association with international trade.

 

He added that the public and private stakeholders in port operations need to come together on a round table and to identify the problems.

 

He lamented that regulatory agencies in the sector need to do more in the area of  implementation and enforcement adding that the intention of the workshop is make progress on port operations.

 

Tanko expressed optimism that the workshop will be an eye opener for practitioners in the industry as a veritable tool to improve port efficiency and effectiveness .

 

The Coordinator maintained that the workshop will be limited to players of the maritime industry at the moment noting that a communique will issued to the Ministry of Transportation at the end of the programme for recommendations.

 

 

By Roland Ekama