Freight charges: NSC, UASC to deploy technology on transit rate, others

The federal government through the Nigerian Shippers Council( NSC) and the   Union African Shippers Council (UASC) has agreed to deploy technology on the issue of transit rate and transportation cost in the aim to advent freight charges.

The Executive Secretary/ Chief Executive Officer, Hassan Bello, said this in an interview with Journalists at the just concluded Sub-Regional summit on Unfair Shipping Charges at the Port of West and Central Africa Sub-Region on Wednesday in Abuja. 

He said before the avent of technology, there was a convention that if there is a cargo meant for Niger and it is transiting through Nigeria port to Niger, custom provides a convoy of excorts that would follow the consignments from the Nigerian port to the last boarder country adding that the essence is to ensure that there was no diversion.

He said they realised that with the modern era of technology, one don’t need to go through all that. 

 He said the USAC will be given the mandate to collect and collate data relating to freight charges in the West and Central African countries.

 Also, the Director of Consumer Affairs (NSC) Cajetan Agu explained that the mandate given to the standing committee at the just concluded summit is to deal with issue relating to incident of cost in West and African economies as it relates to transportation. 

 “Issues discussed during the meeting was arbitrary charges levied on transport service providers, the second issue was on the need to carry out a study or training on freight rate was the need to constitute an expert group of the union of African shippers council to engage the multinational shipping companies on the issue of freight rate and surcharges, and issue of transit rate to landly connected countries. 

“On the issue of imposition of arbitrary charges, it was deliberated upon and all agreed on the need to engage the multinational shipping lines,” he said . 

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