Strike: NPA rules out demurrage charges on trapped goods
Isiaka Adams
The Nigerian Ports Authority has assured importers and agents, whose cargo may be trapped at the nation�s seaports due to the ongoing strike, embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress and other civil society groups that demurrage charges would not be collected over such goods.
The authority, however, expressed optimism that the strike action, which was called to protest the incessant hike in the price of petroleum products, would be short-lived and normal business activities would soon resume at the ports.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Lagos on Monday, the NPA Assistant General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr. Christopher Abiodun Borha, said that although business activities were paralyzed at the ports, peace and security are prevalent in the area.
He also explained that the NPA might not lose any revenue during the strike as the owners of goods and their agents, who were prevented from coming to clear such goods that are trapped at the ports, are expected to come and pay for the goods when the strike is eventually called off.
�It is difficult to say that we will lose revenue during the strike because revenue delayed is not strictly revenue denied and when the ports re-open businesses will resume and the backlog of goods would expectedly be cleared.
�The most important thing is that the strike is not unnecessarily prolonged. We hope that the issues would soon be resolved between today and Tuesday so that everybody can go back to their normal business activities latest on Wednesday,� he said.
He disclosed that despite the stoppage of cargo handling operations, the ports are quiet and the goods already landed there are safe, adding that there are skeletal services while security of lives and property is assured at the ports.
But Borha was reminded that the issue of demurrage charges had always been recurring whenever there was strike, as the NPA would insist on collecting penalty charges on trapped goods while the importers and agents argued that they were not responsible for the delay in the clearance of the goods.
Reacting to the observation, Borha said, �yes, it happened during the last strike, but we were able to resolve the issue amicably. I can assure you that we are not going to do anything to penalize the importers and their agents for circumstances beyond their control,� he stated.
