Lagos, Nov. 2, 2023: Former president, Shippers Association of Lagos State (SALS) Rev. Jonathan Nicole, has urged the newly appointed Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to addressed the increase in price at the port.
Nicole said on Wednesday in Lagos, that there was the need for collective bargaining to reach an agreement on price with the stakeholders.
He noted that this was one of the issues to addressed that would reduce the cost of doing business at the ports
Nicole said that shippers/importers, freight forwarders, transporters, shipping companies, terminal operators are members of the family and they form the collective bargaining in local negotiations mechanism.
According to Nicole, addressing the price issue in the port will bring transparency into the system as it were in those days.
“Shippers have come of age. They have always paid their freight charges themselves without any issues, through the required approved channels of government.
“There should be stable rate of exchange along with the Form M which is not subject to unfair changes at time of clearing the cargo at the ports,” he said.
Nicole said that NSC as the Port Economic Regulator was the umbrella of shippers, importers and exporters who move goods in and out of the country regularly.
Nicole said that shippers whole heartedly welcome the new executive secretary, Mr Akutah Ukeyima, adding that shippers would continue to work cooperatively with him and the government.
“He is about to handle a sensitive instrument. We will work together to make our trade attractive with his presence as our trusted leader at the helm of affairs,” he said.
