REVEALED: Barge operators lament dollar charges by NPA

The Barge Operators Association of Nigeria, BOAN has lamented the severe impact of dollar charges by the Nigerian Port Authority, NPA at the port.

In the same vein, the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC that dollar charges are completely inconsistent with the laws of the country.

Meanwhile, NPA said it does not charge any fee for licensing barge operators in the country.

These concerns were raised at the inauguration of the newly elected executives of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria, MARAN at a breakfast meeting in Lagos.

According to the Director of Operations, BOAN, Nura Wagani, “How can we as Nigerians be operating in Nigeria with Naira and our regulators are charging us in dollars?

We are dying gradually, to barge one empty container, it is costing us N265,000, what about the laden ones?

“The tariff regime of NPA is not doable, we need to put an end to this tariff regime because it is not sustainable. Before you operate as a barge operator, you must obtain a bond of 50 million, if you don’t have patronage you cannot survive”

Earlier, President of BOAN, Olubunmi Olumekun, said that every policy of NPA must be questioned because nothing is working, saying that there is need to declare a state of emergency on every policy of NPA because it is affecting the barge operators.

However, Executive Secretary, NSC Emmanuel Jime, said that charges in dollars are completely inconsistent with the laws of the country.

Jime who inaugurated the new executives said: “Nigeria law as I understand it does not recognize charges in dollars, wherever this is happening, that is completely inconsistent with the laws of this country. We would activate our internal processes to examine these processes frontally.

Reacting to the concerns, Managing Director, NPA, Ayo Durowaye, said: “Barge operations were liberalised by NPA in 2018/19 because the roads along the port corridor were choked up and it was one of the ways the authority felt we could ease pressure on the port. We licensed the barge operators without charging a fee.

“NPA does not charge any fee for licencing barge operators, what we have in place is the bond requirement, the bond requirement of N50 million, if you are operating within Lagos Pilotage District; N150 million if you are doing across the port, and N250 million if you are going across the borders, it is actually a bond and it is their money, it is secured in the bank with what they give us as financial security.

“In the event that you have a barge going down and the operator cannot refloat it, for instance if it is within the channel, the money is used to refloat it quickly and in the last four years that we started this operation, we have had those incidences twice. This amount belongs to them, it is in their account, what they are complaining about is because they do not have access to use it which is in relationship between you and your financial institution.

“What we want is to ensure that while you move around within the channel, every other operator is protected,” he said.