NPA stops collection of charges on export cargoes

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has ordered terminal operators and shipping companies to stop collecting charges on export cargoes arriving at various terminals for loading except where there are specific requests by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) or other government agencies.

The authority said the request should follow appropriate and verifiable documentation provided by the terminal operator upon demand by the government.The authority, in a statement issued on its official Twitter page on Friday, listed the charges to include, cargo examination, weighbridge/ Verified Gross Mass (VGM) stuffing, storage and extra service charge, which the authority said would only be collected by Export Processing Terminals (EPTs).

The authority said this is to ensure that operation does not conflict with existing service lines of terminal operators and shipping companies, The Managing Director, NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko, in compliance with Executive Order 001 as it relates to the authority’s creation of export terminals within the ports, further briefed terminal operators and shipping companies on the takeoff of the EPTs.

The authority disclosed that it is at an advanced stage of integrating the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Nigeria Export Proceeds (NXP) to the ETO requirements.

The authority said this is to stop shipping lines from delivering export boxes to terminals without concluding the NXP requirements, thus dumping such boxes in the terminals with its associated challenges.