As part of measures to ameliorate the challenges faced by shippers doing business in Apapa and Tin-can Island ports, the Presidency, in partnership with Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), is working to reduce the cost of doing business at the ports by elongating demurrage and rent-free days for importers and exporters.
With the elongation of the free days, the amount payable to shipping companies and terminal operators as demurrage and rent charges for not returning empty containers and taking delivery of laden containers as and when due, would automatically reduce.
This is one of the strategies being considered by the Presidential Task Team to address Apapa traffic congestion through the reduction of the number of trucks moving on Apapa roads as importers and their agents were discovered to always be under pressure to beat deadline of returning empty containers.
Hassan Bello, Executive Secretary, NSC, who addressed journalists, Friday, as the presidential task team rounded off its two-week task of clearing roads/bridges around Apapa of encumbrances occasioned by the activities truckers, said, this among measures being adopted, would go a long way in tackling the menace in Apapa.
According to Bello, already, the shipping companies have extended the demurrage free days from five to 10 days, adding however, that stakeholders expect that this will be extended to 12 free days out of 90 days.
“The terminal operator has also extended the rent-free days from three to eight days. We need the truckers to be disciplined by following the procedure.”
On infrastructure, he said that “the roads are being constructed and
the trailer parks are going to be available to handle traffic overflow,”
while the manual call-up system will be perfected within one week and
the electronic call-up ready by end of August.
“This will ensure that trucks are called only when they are needed
without every of them rushing to Apapa at the same time,” he said.
Bello added that the shippers’ council has identified about 54
private parks that would be put to use and would complement the one
being completed by the Federal Government overlooking the Tincan Island
Port.
He said the simplification of processes and procedure would help in
easing the traffic congestion and operations at ports, but emphasised
the need for cooperation and synergy among the parties involved for the
problem to be solved.
Also speaking, Kayode Opeyefa, vice chairman of the presidential task
team, said government understood the role of the ports and was working
towards ameliorating the situation.
“A lot of factories are based in Apapa and if the cost of doing business
is high, it affects pricing, but it is about to come down, it will
translate to cost reduction.
Opeifa said the task team has been able to within two weeks of
consistent efforts, move trailers and trucks from Funsho Williams
Avenue, Eko Bridge and Ikorodu Road, as well as Ijora-Olopa to Marine
Beach.
“In these areas, we have achieved 100 percent compliance of what we
are expected to do in terms truck removal from the bridge, extortion
reduction, deploying an effective traffic management plan and direction
while the deployment of call up system is predicated upon the
availability of truck terminals.
He said the Lilypond terminal is now available for trucks and everything
was being done to ensure it operates on 24-hour basis within days from
now.
“Our assignment was predicated upon the fact that Tin-can trailer park would be available while park B,C, and D would have been cleared by the Lagos State government but they are yet to be fully available because it takes a lot of stakeholders engagement,” he said.
