…Slashes cargo carriage rate by 30%
Ranmilowo Ojalumo
After meeting with relevant truckers associations and union on Tuesday, the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) has released new freight charges that will serve as a benchmark for haulage operators to carry cargoes out of the Lagos seaports to other parts of the state.
Disclosing this in a statement released on Thursday, Shippers Council appealed to port users and the general public to take advantage of the reduced freight charges to decongest the port.
The rate which apply to 20ft and 40ft are as follows: 1. Ikeja/ Agege & Environs dropped from 400, 000 and 500, 000 to 280, 000 and 350, 000; 2 Amuwo/Satellite Okota dropped from 350, 000 and 400, 000 to 245, 000 280, 000; 3 Surulere/ Mushin Ijesha dropped from 300, 000 and 380, 000 to 210, 000 to 266, 000; 4 Lagos Island dropped from 350, 000 and 400, 000 to 245, 000 280, 000; 5 Badagry/Mowe/Lekki/Zone,IkoroduLocal) Agbara/Shagamu (West 450, 000 and 550, 000 now 315, 000 and 385, 000.
The council said the rates are subject to a review after due consultation and meeting with the stakeholders. The current rates as contained in the statement is effective from 22nd April, 2020 and will last for the period of COVID-19
Shippers Council had met with the truckers under the aegis of Council of Maritime Truck Union and Association (COMTUA) on Tuesday April 21, 2020 and pleaded on behalf of freight forwarders and importers to reduce freight charges during this period so as to help decongest the port amid the covid-19 pandemic.
The Executive Secretary of NSC, Hassan Bello, at the meeting said the truck owners must make sacrifice and contribute to the sustainability of the nation’s economy during the Covid-19 crisis, saying the nation doesn’t need astronomical freight rate as the ports need to be decongested.
It was in view of the agreement reached with the associations at the meeting on Tuesday to reduce freight rate by 30% council that the council release the new price regime for haulers transacting within the Lagos seaport.
Part of the statement issued on Thursdays reads “In furtherance of government’s effort to contain and control the spread of COVID-19 and the directive of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that seaports should remain open during the period of the lockdown, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council met with the Haulage Associations and Unions on the 21 st April 2020. The aim of the meeting was to work out a modus operandi for cargo evacuation from the seaports that complies with COVID — 19 guidelines as well as support port operations and the economy.
“The Associations and Unions that participated in the meeting were as follows: National Association of Road Transport owners (NARTO), Association of Maritime Transport Owners (AMATO),Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Corporate Fleet Owners Association, Container Truck Owners Association, Amalgamation of Container Truck Owners and Council of Maritime Transport Union and association (COMTUA).
“The meeting recognized the important role of the haulage sector in the logistics value chain and the compelling need for haulers to come up with a unified action to support the economy in the current effort for the containment and control of the spread of COVID-19. It further recognized the challenges faced by haulers relating to non-issuance of Terminal Delivery Order (TDO) by some terminals, extortion on the port access roads, ban on interstate movement and limited bank services. The Nigerian Shippers Council is already addressing these issues. The Associations and Unions agreed to reduce haulage cost by 30% across the board to serve as bench mark freight rates for the evacuation of cargoes from the seaports during the COVID — 19 pandemic”, the statement said.
