ANLCA Writes Shippers Council, Seeks Suspension of Controversial Haulage Rates At Onne Port

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has written the port economic regulator; Nigerian Shippers Council, demanding the reversal of the recently introduced controversial haulage fees by Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and one of its technical partners, LP Consult.

The letter addressed to the South South Zonal Coordinator of Shippers Council was signed by Sir Joshua Ahuama, Eastern Zonal Coordinator of ANLCA and his Zonal Secretary, Okere Chinyere Celestina.

The letter dated 14th of March 2024 states that “The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Eastern Zone after an exhaustive meeting that lasted for more than four 4 hours have extensively reviewed the new haulage rates within the Zone as per the attached list and have resolved as follows:

1) Suspend the new price list immediately pending further engagement with ANLCA EASTERN ZONAL Representatives.

2) Return of the Haulage rates to the status quo ante.

3) Re-engage for a downward review of the new haulage Rates considered to be very outrageous 1.2 Our reasons for rejecting the new Haulage Rates are premised on the facts that: 1.The Zone was not fairly represented in the meeting that gave birth to this decision, as ANLCA Eastern Zone comprises of 7 chapters situate in the South -East and South -South of Nigeria as follows:
Port Harcourt Area 1 , Onne Sea port, Port Harcourt Airport, Oil and Gas Free Zone, Calabar Seaport, Warri, Enugu Airport

“The Onne Seaport Chapter only participated in this review process which is not a fair representation of the zone as you are aware. 3. The opinions of the practitioners in Onne and other chapters in the Zone were not sought before arriving at the decisions.

4. The increment in haulage rate did not adopt standard measures as it was arbitrary. 5.The new rate is outrageous and will have a more than proportionate negative impact in our operations which will in turn affect the market values of goods and eventually add up to the inflation level in the economy” it concluded

Recall that one of the freight forwarding associations; African Associaton of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics (APFFLON) had raised an alarm and allegation of extortion of truck drivers by NPA over the introduction of a truck park and payment of N20,000 by truck drivers for them to compulsorily make use of the park operated by LP Consult at Onne Port.