RECESSION: Customs Broker Predicts Job Loss In Maritime Sector 2021, Urges FG To Provide Electricity For Concessionaires

A licensed customs broker , Dr. Kayode Farinto has called on the Federal Government to improve on provision of electricity for terminal operators in Nigeria to boost efficiency in port operations and job sustainability for Nigerians.

 

Farinto who is the Vice President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) in a chat with newsmen on Tuesday, harped on the need for the government to provide a level playing field for the concessionaires, saying billions of naira were expended on diesel monthly,  to power the facilities night and day.

 

He noted that the federal government has failed to fulfil it’s parts of the concession agreement over failure to provide electricity for the terminal operators which in turn has led to flip flop storage charges on consignment at the facilities.

 

According to him, the port concessionaires are in business to maximize profit as investors in maritime activities thus must be supported.

 

In view of the recession, the ANLCA chieftain expressed worries over job loss in the maritime industry, predicting that there are indications  of massive job loss from the concessionaires if the government failed to be proactive.

 

Farinto affirmed that the terminal operators in Nigeria employ well above 500, 000 direct and indirect workers and must be encouraged to sustain or increase the number – instead of reducing the figure.

 

 

 

 

“The concession agreement has not been followed by the government and that is why the various terminal operators will continue to latch on this.

 

“In the concession agreement, it is stipulated that government should provide electricity for the terminal operators but that is not available now.

 

“We have a situation where the various terminal operators are the  providing electricity at their facilities all day and that is why they can wake up tomorrow and tell you that they must make profit through hike in storage charges.

 

Continuing , he added :”Government should provide palliative for the terminal operator’s and look into the issue of electricity at their respectively facilities so that they will not come out to increase storage rent or charge otherwise if this recession continues, I want to tell you that before February or March most of them will be forced to downsize.

 

Recall that some of the terminal operators in 2020 lay off some of the workforce even as they attributed the sack to the ravishing covid-19 pandemic.

 

Some of the concessionaires that downsize it staff strength include- Intels , JosepDam Port Services (JPS) to mention just a few.

 

By Roland Ekama