Freight forwarders plying their trade at the Lagos ports have dragged Webb Fontaine, an IT solution provider at the Lagos ports, to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, over alleged incessant break-down of Customs Server.
This is even as the agents lamented that due to the incessant server failure, over 1,600 containers have been trapped inside the ports, accumulating unnecessary demurrages and storage charges.
Webb Fontaine is the service provider for Customs automation processes and handles the trade portal through which the trading public such as importers, freight forwarders interface with the Customs.
Unable to bear the delays and attendant cost implications occasioned by this breakdown, agitated freight forwarders, under the aegis of the National Association of Government Approved Freight forwarders (NAGAFF), have cried out to the Finance minister for his quick intervention.
In a letter dated May 8, 2024 addressed to the Minister of Finance, with copies sent to relevant government and security agencies, the National coordinator of the 100% Compliance Team of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), AlhajiTanko Ibrahim, complained about the incalculable damage which the frequent server break down has caused freight forwarders in particular and the nation in general.
In the letter, Tanko bemoaned the trade disruption and huge demurrage occasioned by the incessant server break down.
According to him, the freight forwarders incur daily losses of N192m through the payment of mounting demurrages brazenly charged by shipping companies and terminal operators as a result of the delay caused by the server breakdown.
The letter reads: “Honorable Minister sir, we as stakeholders and users of the customs servers are going through a lot in the hands of our teeming customers, shipping companies and terminal operators.
“This is so as the Terminal Operators charge the sum of N62,000.00 per day while the Shipping companies charge N58,000.00 per day anytime there is delay of cargo evacuation.
“For instance sir, we have an average of 1,600 containers trapped by the server failure in each of the ports of Apapa, Tin-Can, PTML and Kirikiri Lighter terminal respectively, with an estimated sum of N192,000,000 being lost daily.
“Where this sum is multiplied with more than two thousand containers that are equally denied exit from off dock terminals, due to the server failure/breakdown, the consequential effect is better imagined than experienced.
“This had been a recurring decimal over time with the Customs service provider, namely, Webb Fontaine.
The freight forwarders however called for review of the contract of the service provider in view of the frequent server break down.
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