The Ndigboamaka Progressive Markets Association (NPMA) has expressed displeasure over the Nigeria shipping and Port Economic regulatory bill, saying it is meant to repeal shippers’ protection interest.
Speaking in a press release made available to the association hinted that the bill, which was passed last week by the House of Representatives, will replace shippers interest with an industry economic regulator body, which targets is mostly driven by revenue objectives.
NMPA President General, Hon. Comrade Chinedu Ukatu stated that before the bill was passed, the body observed that it “jettisons the original intents of protecting the Shipping Interests of the Nigeria Shippers (as listed in the NSC Act 133 2004)”.
“As an international trading public, we have continued to put forth our great hue and cry protesting that there is something wrong with our whole shipping and port system, especially, with respect to double handlings and obnoxious charges without cost functions.
“For the record, our hue and cry goes in the areas of:
- A maritime industry, where regulators publicize zero piracy attacks on Nigeria’s bound vessels, yet an economic regulator prefers that the “international war risk insurance charges” be imposed on its shippers without recourse.
- An industry, where global actors express grave concerns about geopolitical tensions, rising shipping costs, and emerging industrial policy restrictions which could reshape global trade patterns negatively, yet, a supposed shippers’ interests protector, prefers to fold its hand, even seen romanticizing issues with stakeholders, while the Shippers are being exploited and distorted, all in the name of inter-agency collaborations, which to us was consented to, aimed to wet ground and garner support in its quest to metamorphose into an industry economic regulator.
- An industry, where the interests of the Nigeria Shippers no longer matter to its protecting council, as it appears comfortable and resorts to the backbench, while the international carriers, and other stakeholders in the international trade and port value supply chain, endlessly chronicle all forms of logical and illogical charges both official and unofficial against the shippers.
- To our chagrin, the Protective Council in its meetings engagements, where we are being recognized as the pitiable chicken that lays the golden eggs in the supply chain. Invariably, we are the ” sacrificial party cow” that must be butchered and pieces as “suya for all” without recourse.
- As an international trading public, we now find ourselves in an industry where we are often exploited and compelled, against unknown international best practices and norms, and against our will to accept and pay illogical charges and fees above industry and subregion average, especially, to both multinational and local entities, just because, we have been politically classified for commercial interests as “non-compliant trading public”, whiles in truancy, those who classified us as such are the ones who are actually not compliant with their trade fiscal and monetary policies.
- As an international trading public, we, directly and indirectly, pay for their gross inconsistency, unpredictable tariff regime, always shifting goalposts in the middle of the game, and thus, leaving a patriotic businessman who is profit-driven to fall into an operationally crafted selfish system created to serve more of selfish purposes than common interests, as proven, “in every trade malpractices, it takes two to tangle”.
- Unfortunately, no regulatory will is seen or been deployed to ascertaining the negative impact of all these directly and indirectly imposed charges on the Nigeria shippers, no, it no longer interests anyone, especially, in the face of rising inflation, thus, further impoverishing the consuming public, who are already saturated and grappling with too many bills, mostly in the face of ailing economic hardship (hunger and starvation.).
- Regrettably, the Shippers Council we knew before now, was a Council that took several steps to combat industry monopoly in an industry where virtually no competition thrives, especially in the port value-adding supply chain. Here we are, that same council is gearing up to join the leagues that exploit the Nigeria Shippers.
- We observed, to our astonishment that it seems as if the council we respect for its doggedness, but now hobnobs with agencies, which ideally it is expected to regulate or call to order, being at the forefront of pencilling same down for a presidential industry performance merit certification/awards and not the other way round.
- We never would expected that this Council takes an industry pose like other regulatory stakeholders in the maritime industry that has continued, exhibiting the mentality of mere shopkeepers without an inventory and novation. As it stands, none ever cared or bothered, why must cost of doing business in our port remains very high, nor was anyone sincerely worried about the impact of the high cost of clearing cargo out of the ports or the image of the nation being tagged or classified as one of the globally unfriendly ports.
- We did observe too that in a dramatic twist, the operationally focused, ever dedicated, pleasant and passionate staff of the Council, we reputed for their technical know-how and patriotic spirit, are now helplessly shifting with a bye-bye looks on their faces, waving at the Nigeria Shippers, even as they appear to be either manipulated for political elites sakes to jettison their loves for the Nigeria shippers, while the political elites representative, uses moral suasion to keep them helpless in advancing the cause of protecting the shippers’ interests, as its key obligations. This indeed, is an unfortunate situation. But to all the wonderful staff we still owe our gratitude.
Conclusion:
“I do not care if I throw every single weapon or reactor into the ocean after we are done. We will have modernized French industry.”
“These were the passionate words of De Gaulle in its effort and commitment to develop independent marketplaces and modernize the French industry in general.
“With the present vacuum in the protection of the Nigeria shippers’ interests, we shall uphold the same spirit of De Gaulle, to pursue via a legislative mechanism, an independent shippers protection commission”, part of the statement reads.
