The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) have expressed concerns over the arbitrary increase of charges by the Port and Terminal Operators (Nig) Limited, PTOL, without consultation with the necessary regulatory agencies.
At a meeting recently, the NPA and the NSC told PTOL that it ran afoul of its lease agreement and government regulations.
The meeting was convened by the Acting Executive Secretary of the NSC, Ms. Ifeoma Ezedinma who said such acts will attract sanctions as the Shippers’ Council, through public notices, visits and correspondences is always advising regulated service providers to obey the law.
NSC and NPA advised PTOL to present their proposed increases for negotiation through official channels as soon as possible.
PTOL’s General Manager Macpherson Nwaukoni, apologized for the oversight while explaining that the action was taken due to losses the company has incurred in the course operations. These losses, according to him, occurred as a result of the import ban on certain items resulting in the company’s inability to meet its obligation to the Lessor, particularly the rental debt they owe to NPA. He also said the comparison of their rates with other terminals revealed that their own charges are much lower. All these, he said, made operations difficult, leading them to increase their tariffs by 15 percent to 30 percent.
