It is too bad they are almost succeeding in the re-introduction of the cargo tracking note (CTN). It will be recalled that this CTN was introduced in 2010 and banned the same year. See below Notice from Ships and Ports Daily





After more than six months of denials, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has finally slammed charges on the controversial cargo tracking note (CTN) it reintroduced early this year.

A letter titled RE: NOTICE TO ALL CARRIERS, SHIP OWNERS, SHIP CHATTERERS, SHIPPING LINES, SHIPPING LINE AGENCIES AND CONSIGNEES, signed by NSC’s Executive Secretary/CEO, Hassan Bello and exclusively obtained by SHIPS & PORTS DAILY yesterday, states: “We wish to refer to the above notice and to inform you that the administrative fees for the international cargo tracking note are charged at the following rates:

Empty containers – Free
Containers (20ft & 40ft) – $25 per container
iii. RoRo + Vehicles – $10 per Unit

Break Bulk – $0.2 per Unit
Conventional/Groupage – $1 per Freight ton
Non Crude Oil Export – Free
vii. Crude Oil Export – $0.1 per ton.”

The implication of this development is that at the current exchange rate, importers will now pay at least N6,000 additional charges on every container coming into the country, while importers of all types of vehicles will pay additional N2,400 per unit.

Chairman, Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Val Usifoh said the CTN costs will be charged to importers.

Curiously, Hassan Bello had claimed at various fora and meetings with stakeholders that the CTN would not attract any charges.

National President, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Mr. Lucky Amiwero has flayed the Nigerian Shippers’ Council for deceiving stakeholders on charges associated with the CTN.

“It is wrong because that is what I told Hassan Bello. I told him that he should not introduce the Cargo Tracking Note (CTN) if it is not tied to services and if it is going to attract additional cost.

“That is why I have not made any comment for a very long time because legally speaking CTN has no law. It is not backed by any law and if there is no law, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) does not have the right to midwife it and there is no need for CTN for a country that is so expensive with so many costs we have in the country.

“Why are they bringing it at this time when everybody is complaining? There is no cargo, the cost is high, we have multiplicity of charges in the post industry.

“What are you bringing CTN for, what are the benefits? What is the value for CTN to the economy? CTN is not tied to security and not under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) convention on safe framework because if it is then we can say okay it is for security.

“These are the things we are saying, CTN is not tied to services. What are the services of CTN and if CTN is not tied to security; if there are charges on CTN, then it should be rejected,” Mr. Amiwero said yesterday.

National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu recalled that NSC had earlier promised his association that CTN would not attract any charges.

“Having been assured by Nigerian Shippers Council itself that it would not attract a single kobo to Nigerian shippers and based on that condition and the fact that the contract signed by NSC and the operator has a clause saying that once additional money is added to the shipper’s freight or anywhere, this contract remains terminated.

“That is the reason why we are keeping an open mind and watching. We are also following up with our international counterpart to alert us incase anything like that is introduced. Once additional money is added, then we are going to change our position because that is the last decision we made at our last expanded NECOM meeting and with this development (of introduction of charges) once it is confirmed, we are going to call another emergency NECOM meeting, then probably we will change our position. The issue is; we cannot afford to add more to the cost,” Prince Shittu told SHIPS & PORTS DAILY yesterday.

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has also faulted the introduction of the controversial CTN by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council.

MAN Director General, Remi Ogunmefun, said in a statement that the CTN was bound to drive up the cost of cargo clearance at the nation’s seaports and have a negative trickle-down effect on businesses.

According to him, despite weighty reservations expressed by manufacturers at different forum and at a special meeting with the management and Governing Board of NSC and a follow-up technical review session on August 11 and 20, 2015, respectively, NSC was bent on reintroducing the CTN.

“This position was reached based on observed limitations, and other yet to be addressed observed lapses that motivated the call for its cancellation few years ago. The rationale for our dissatisfaction was expressed at the afore-mentioned meetings and formally communicated in writing to the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council on September 15, 2015,” Ogunmefun said.

source: http://shipsandports.com.ng/nigerian-shippers-council-slams-cargo-tracking-note-charges-on-importers/

The charge is just too high

Favparis:
The charge is just too high

Should there be CTN in the first place?

These free riding parastatals sef .booked space they will hear from me....WATCH THIS SPACE.

Facts have emerged on why the Federal Government insisted on re-introducing the Advanced Cargo Tracking Notes, called CTN, despite opposition from Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the multinational shipping lines who have submitted to superior reasons.
MMS Plus gathered that the Federal Government had been worried about the fast depreciating state of port infrastructure in the country and obvious lack of funds to fix them but found CTN as a veritable window of raising the needed capital to consistently bridge the infrastructure gap.
Contrary to the claim in some quarters that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) lobbied for the re-introduction of CTN in Nigeria, the Presidency under former President Goodluck Jonathan deemed the concept expedient to solve the national port infrastructure crisis, got the Federal Executive Council(FEC) to approve and then called on the NSC to implement it in line with the dictates of the Union of African Shippers’ Council(UASC) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development(UNCTAD) who founded CTN in 2002 for enhanced security and safety values of ports and shippers.
Consequently, President Mohammed Buhari has since keyed into this wisdom, quashing all the blackmails and smear campaigns against the initiative by shipping lines and MAN. It was on this grounds that the Presidency under Buhari approved its take off for November, 3rd 2015 at the nation’s ports.
Findings by MMS Plus, last week, revealed that the multinational shipping lines have beaten a retreat from their stance of opposition to compliance as the registration showed that about 2000 companies, including shipping lines and shippers have been registered.
Following this, a period of one month starting from November 3rd to December 3rd has been given to all maritime stakeholders to comply with full registration.
Currently, Nigeria charges the lowest cost in CTN within the West and Central African countries. While Nigeria collects 25 dollars, N5,000 equivalent per container , the minimum charges approved by UASC and UNTAD is 60 euro, equivalent of N20,000. However, the multinational shipping companies have been collecting illegal charges of N31,700 for what they called Shipping Lines Agency Charges(SLAC) from shippers per container over the years, says a source in NSC, “yet MAN could not raise an eye brow over that until Shippers Council stopped them from doing that and they(shipping lines) went to court to challenge it, and when the court ruled against them they went ahead to appeal and still collect it,” he added.
“ Why didn’t MAN go to court to stop that that is an illegality, a clear extortion? But the CTN is a legitimate funds that guarantees security and safety of cargo and ports in line with the International Maritime Organisation(IMO) International Ship and Port Facility Security(ISPS) Code. Can you imagine! An individual is illegally collecting N31,700, but government wants to collect only N5,000, which will be used to improve ports infrastructure, which includes fixing the ports access roads and people are complaining. These are the same people who are saying that government is not doing anything concerning ports infrastructure. We have engaged the shipping companies on this and they acknowledged that we are correct,”the source noted.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders(NAGAFF) has applauded the Federal Government for re-introducing CTN platform, saying it would enhance the efficiency and security of port operations.
Speaking last week on the CTN, the founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, said “ the good thing about CTN now is that it attracts no cost. CTN is a global initiative put in place to monitor and verify cargoes on transit. And the initiative has the blessings of the IMO and the World Customs Organisation(WCO), which Nigeria is a member. It has a lot of security and safety values for shippers and other agencies of the government.”
To ensure a hitch-free compliance and implementation of CTN, NSC has since commenced sensitization programme for the stakeholders. On October 29, 2015, an awareness programme was organized for members of staff of NSC; November 2, for importers, exporters and freight forwarders, while another programme has been scheduled for other stakeholders such as Nigerian Ports Authority(NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administrative and Safety Agency(NIMASA), Nigeria Customs Service(NCS), National Association Of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture(NACCIMA) in a week’s time.
CTN is mandatory for all IMO member countries. In US it is called 24-hour rule; in Europe it is known as EU Advanced Cargo Declaration; China, 24-hour Advanced Manifest Regulation;Turkey, 24-hour Advanced Manifest Regulation; Japan, 24-hour Advanced Filling Rules on Maritime Cargo Information.
In Africa, Benin, Garbon,Ivory Coast,Angola, Senegal, Guinea, among others have implemented it.
However, the grouse of MAN and shipping lines has been that it would increase the cost of doing business in the ports.
CTN was first introduced in Nigeria in 2010 and implemented through NPA but it was vehemently resisted by stakeholders due to additional high cost to shipping business. Now, it was reintroduced and given to NSC for implementation on behalf of the Federal Government via a letter with reference no. T.0160/S.30 T4C dated 14th May 2015.