In response to numerous complaints by the 100% Complaints Team of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders(NAGAFF) has vowed to monitor the newly introduced evaluation committee set up by management of the Nigeria Customs Service to monitor operational activities of bonded terminals in Lagos .
The Compliance Team also commended management of the Service for the setting up of the evaluation committee, saying the operations of some bonded terminals within and outside the ports, was alarming.
It would be recalled that the Team had consistently called for the withdrawal of licenses of some bonded terminals base on their inefficient service delivery, poor environment, lack of functional equipment, outrageous charges, lack of space among others…
According to a statement on Monday, the National Coordinator !00% Compliance Team of NAGAFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko commended the leadership of the Customs Service for the quick response to their clarion call and expressed hope that the Committee led by a reputable and uncompromising personality will leave up to expectation.
Tanko said ”Gentlemen of the Press, You will recall that throughout last month, we were agitating and complaining about the lack of capacity of some Bonded Terminal. Thank God the management of Nigeria Customs Service have sent a Committee to investigate the bonded terminal to know whether they meet the requirement of operating as such or not. .
“I am happy to note that they arrived in Lagos last Monday and I was told and I saw them,” he stated.
He assured that they(Compliance Team) are not going to relent, rather they will monitor and watch committee closely, adding that they will visit such facilities along with the press to any bonded terminal that will be visited by the committee of customs viin order to have strong evidence to back their claim.
”We are not going to rest, we are still going to monitor them. I already addressed my men, we are going to watch them closely, any bonded they visited, we are going to visit that terminal with the press in order to have strong evidence.
“If they still do not meet up with the standard, they should revoke their licences. They cannot come here and be making money at the detriment of the common man in Nigeria. We are all Nigerians and we are the people that suffer it most.
Tanko who is also the Vice President Western Zone of NAGAFF lamented the ordeal freight forwarders pass through the hands of management of bonded terminal , alleging that they pay N3m per container due to demurrage, transfer charges, while services paid for are not rendered by their staff promptly.
According to him, ”We are not suppose to pay transfer charges. among others Shippers’ Council has said it all, but they(Shippers’ Council) are not following up and we are paying . The problem we are having, we have nobody to cry to. so you are alone, they ask you go and pay and if you don’t, pay, your container will be accumulating demurrage. That’s why I said , we will start going to court .
