By Giwa SHILE
The Seaports Terminal Operators on Monday alleged that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) was denying its members of the 25 per cent statutory charge of the value of auctioned containers.
The spokesman for the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Mr Bolaji Akinola, made this allegation in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos.
He said that the operators frowned at the impunity and lack of transparency by Customs in the auction exercise.
He said that for several years, the service had failed to keep to the agreement, which mandated it to pay a 25 per cent charge on auctioned containers.
Akinola said that the 25 per cent charge was from the value of all auctioned containers in the country.
“Container terminal operators incur huge costs associated with the handling of overtime containers, especially with the positioning of containers selected by Customs for auctioning without any commensurate benefit even after such containers are auctioned.
‘Usually, it is after Customs sells auctioned containers that they are supposed to pay the statutory 25 per cent, but for years that they have been moving containers to Ikorodu, they have not paid us the statutory 25 per cent of the auction value.
“It costs about 10 dollars to lift a container once; For example, we may have to move seven or more containers to get to the one requested by Customs for auction and this comes at a huge cost.
“So it is causing big operational costs for us. The containers are selected haphazardly for auction.
“When overtime cargoes are to leave the port, Customs should not pick a container that is 500 days and leave a container that is 1,000 days old.
” Customs should abide by the contract and regulations guiding auction,” he said.
Akinola also urged Customs to immediately commence the auction of overtime cargoes, which he said it is threatening available space at the terminal.
According to him, the problem of abandoned overtime cargo is not just affecting us; it is affecting the shipping industry.
“When you have a port that is congested with overtime containers, it is a recipe for disaster,” Akinola said.
The SOAN spokesman, said for example, a terminal that had a capacity of about 500,000 TEUs but had been made to restrict its capacity because of the congestion, was really a cause for worry.
“We also have several export containers, which have been abandoned in the port as well and they are taking up available spaces.
“If we can get rid of these containers, we can take more boxes in; free up the Lagos roads and congestion will not be at the port,” he said.
The National Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr Jacob Attah, said that the issue of 25 per cent was statutory and was part of requirements for any person who wins E-Auction of overtime cargo before taking delivery.
Attah urged those who were in doubt to visit the service website on E-Auction platform, to be more enlightened of auctioning overtime cargo.
“What we have been doing up till now is auctioning of seized goods since the establishment of the E-Auction.
“Very soon, customs will start the E-Auction of overtime cargo while both the terminal operators and shipping companies would be entitled to the 25 per cent,” Attah said.
