Association tasks courier, logistics firms on calm over tariff hike

Following the anger that greeted the recent tariff hike by the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) for courier and logistic companies, the Association of Nigeria Courier Operators (ANCO) has urged operators and the public to remain calm, saying it was dialoguing with government and relevant agencies for a friendlier operating environment.

In a statement by its president, Okey Uba, the association said it had written Governor Babatunde Sanwo-Olu and other germane institutions to ensure ease of doing business in Lagos State.

“We have also set machinery in motion to replicate the dialogue with other states and the Federal Government,” he added.

The ANCO boss submitted that the goal of the operators was to maximally satisfy their numerous clients and the public, in addition to assisting the government to grow the economy and create jobs.

He regretted that the industry had been in the news lately for the wrong reasons on account of the increased levy.

“Apart from the fact that the world economy is in distress and businesses are struggling to stay afloat, NIPOST mindlessly and regrettably resorted to the absurd increase in courier operations fees.

“This is even when the industry has been under the weight of inefficient regulation and lack of effective coordination between NIPOST and other government agencies on one side, and between NIPOST and stakeholders, including ANCO on the other side, ” Uba claimed.

He, however, commended the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, for ordering NIPOST to suspend the new duty.

NIPOST had increased the licence fees for municipal operators to N1 million, and annual renewals charges to 40 per cent of new license fees at N400, 000 yearly.

State operators’ dues rose to N2 million, regional to N5 million, national, N10 million, while international operators were to pay N20 million as license fee. All licence renewals were pegged at 40 per cent of licence fees per zone.

Consequently, the stakeholders lamented that while neighboring countries were granting waivers, tax rebates and others to assist businesses in this critical in this COVID-19 era, the government in the most populous black nation was “hell bent on making the populace suffer more by bringing up stringent measures aimed at making businesses shut down, and push the average Nigerian into more economic misery.”