The immediate past President of the Shippers Association of Lagos State (SALS), Mr. Jonathan Nicole, has urged the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to ensure no cost effect on shippers while implementing the Cargo Tracking Note (CTN).
According to Nicole, the Cargo Tracking Note, directly related to shippers, is a document like the Bill of Lading of a vessel that shows the details of what is declared and acts like a cargo manifest with complete details of what the importer is shipping.
He added that it shows quality, quantity and costs and could actually replace so many other shipping documents that it would render worthless, such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP).
Nicole noted that the only difference with the CTN was the financial implication.
He noted that in the early 80s, the cargo tracking note was one of the document that they had from shippers council as part of document for clearing but it was free.
“We are one of the supporters of the CTN because we are fed up with the under declaration and Customs queries and others.
“We pushed it and supported NSC and when the Shippers council said that the fee will be paid by the shipping lines, we were happy.
“Initially, it is the shipping lines that should pay for the issuance of the CTN documents from the excess fees paid by shippers during shipments.
“For instance, if the freight forwarders charges far and above transport of the cargo from the manufacturer to the ship. The excess fee is what the Council is asking as refund. That’s sums up the CTN charges,” he said.
Nicole added that the Council did not consider the shippers to give a percentage so that they could run their own business seamlessly but paid everything into a fund.
“We are saying that they should take it easy in introducing the CTN, so that it does not add to the cost of doing business in the port,” he said.
He urged government not to only look at how much they would bring, but should consider how well it would work with the general public.
“The concept is good in a sane society. Why is it that when we introduce new system, it creates problems for people,” he queried.
Recall that on Feb. 15, the Federal Executive Council approved the installation of Electronic Cargo Tracking Notes for seaports nationwide.
The Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, said the scheme will tackle several challenges, such as the under-declaration, concealment and wrong classification of important cargo.
These, he said, were the primary causes of revenue leakages, insecurity and safety issues at the borders.
