Shipper’s Council Recovers N2.7 billion On Behalf Of Importers In 2 Years, Handles 1,727 Complaints

The Nigerian Shipper’s Council said it recorded a total of 1,727 complaints from importers which were successful resolved between 2020 and 2022 , with additional N2.7 billion recovered on behalf of shippers and freight agents under the period .

The Council in its periodic “Complaints Newsletter “, a copy made available to DAILY FOCUS NIGERIA, further revealed that the year 2021 had the highest figure of complaints by shippers with 666 number of cases handled while additional N2,510,450,074.04 was recovered on behalf of the trading public same year.

Similarly, a total of 648 cases of complaints were recorded in the year 2020 despite the coronavirus pandemic, with N56,967,232.57 recovered .

In 2022, a total of 413 cases was recorded  which is a clear indication of a sharp drop of complaints by the trading public with a sum of N203,546,709.04 recovered on behalf of shippers and freight forwarders.

Meanwhile, the port economic regulator has observed that despite the decrease in the volume of cargo throughput at the nation’s seaports, demurrage and detention (D and D) remains high.

The Complaints Unit of the Council also urged importers and exporters to ensure that they engage professional logistics service providers to handle the clearing and delivery processes of their cargoes in a bid  for all containers returned promptly without accruing demurrage or detention charges.

According to the publication”freight forwarders and shipper’s are no longer strangers to the dreaded D&D charges meted by the shipping lines. These changes as become one of the controversial topic in the shipping industry in recent years.

” You pay D&D charges when you exceed the period allowed for the boxes. They charges continue to accrue daily till container are returned the container Shipping lines.

“Such high charges may be “unjust and unreasonable”for the freight forwarders, but for the shipping lines,they ensure that the efficient use of their containers. D&D charges can accrue up to 20 value of the container itself.

“Most times,these charges erode the profit margin of the Importers and the cost are usually borne by the final consumers.The Nigerian Shippers’ Council as the port Economic regulator is really concerned about these challenges,as it is a real factor that contribute to high rate of inflation in the economy.

“This is why the council will continue to work relentlessly in sensitizing the Importers on the need to ensure they pick up laden containers, unpack and return empty containers to the shipping lines within the free days to avoid D&D charges.

“The council observed that D&D  constituted the highest percentage of the Compliants handled over the past three years as contained in the NSC published annual report of 2018,2019,and 2020. This is attributed to the engagement of non- professional agents or freight forwarders by most importer in the clearing of their cargoes and management of the containers.”

By Roland Ekama