Posted on April 16, 2020
The National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) has decried the skeletal operations of banks and shipping companies at the ports, which makes cargo evacuation business more tedious and difficult for brokers due to the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown.
In a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, the National President, Mr. Lucky Amiwero, said the non accessibility of Licensed Customs Agent (LCA) to the ports in Lagos, coupled with the inability of banks and shipping companies to operate at full scale, has frustrated them in getting their consignments out of the ports.
He added: “We hereby bring to the notice of the Federal Government of the urgent need to waive the rents of terminals and shipping company demurrage charges on all shipping into Lagos ports as a result of the COVID 19 lock down that affect the banks, shipping companies, licensed Customs Agents(LCA), other port users and other government agencies.
He bemoaned that the banks are not opened for normal transaction, which is the core within the Licensed Customs Agents(LCA) clearing chain, as clearance of goods start, with the banks in the opening of form M, processing of PAAR, collection shipping documentation and other monetary transfers transaction.
Furthermore, he noted that the banks facilitate payment of import duty, terminal charges, shipping company charges, terminal charges, transporters’ charges, NAFDAC, SON etc, which cannot be performed as the banks are not open for the normal transactions till date.
He said that, “the shipping companies are not opened for the release of goods, they are statutorily the agent to the carrier or the carrier themselves, who by the provision of the contract of carriage by sea or air, are to release the goods after ascertaining the payment for freight from the port of shipment to port of destination and other local shipping charges payments, that is paid through the banks.
“As stated, without the release of the goods from shipping company, terminals cannot deliver the goods to the Licensed Customs Agents/Importer as the shipping company hold the cargo in trust until its release for delivery in line with the contract of carriage.”
Source: sunnewsonline
