The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Hassan Bello, has said that the Ports and Terminal Multipurpose Limited cannot increase terminal handling charges without approaching the council.
Bello, while addressing newsmen in Lagos on Tuesday, distanced NSC from the proposed 50 per cent increment in the handling charges by PTML.
According to him, though freight-forwarding associations had canvassed the review of the charges at the terminal, NSC has not arrived such increment.
“There has not been any increase; it is just a proposition. They can’t increase the charges without coming to shippers’ council.
“We have had meetings with Grimaldi and PTML to discuss this. We are not averse to increment in charges because there has not been any increment in the last decade. No one can approve an increase in charges in the port system without the council, and if that is done, then it is an effort in futility,” he said.
Although the NSC boss commended PTML for its high performance in automation and efficient service, he stated that NSC was not fully convinced that PTML’s services deserve upward review of handling charges.
He added, “We need to be fully convinced that these increments or reviews are tied to service. We have to be concerned about that. The ultimate thing is efficiency, and shippers would not mind an increase, if they can get their cargoes within a short time and at a reasonable cost. “We would like to see PTML and other terminals fully automated in a way that people can clear goods without going to the ports.”
