The Association of Customs Licensed Agents (ANLCA) has urged the Federal Government to stop Intels Logistics Terminal, Onne Port, Rivers State, from collecting charges in dollars.
The group also seeks the reversal of the directive of former President Goodluck Jonathan that oil and gas cargoes coming into the country go through the private terminal.
Importers of cargoes in oil and gas sector are allegedly diverting goods to neighbouring countries’ ports because of the monopolistic nature of the directive, especially paying charges in dollars at the terminal and other alleged oppressive tendencies associated with it.
The group said if the Federal Government fails to act urgently, it may lead to loss of jobs as cargo diversion translates to revenue loss.
Its President, Alhaji Olayiwola Shittu, said the directive “is obnoxious, uncharitable and counter-productive” because of its negative effect on the economy, arguing that it negates the foreign exchange (forex) policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) designed to enhance the value of the naira.
The company, which has interests in Onne Port, Warri Port and Calabar Port, Shittu said, has been frustrating the efforts of the government to strengthen the local currency as it still collects dollars from users of its facilities.
Shittu alleged that to protest against this directive that favours Intels, some importers of oil and gas related cargoes have boycotted the use of its facilities and diverted their consignments to neighbouring ports.
The Federal Government, he said, needs to show the political will to address the problem.
Shittu said ports concession was to reduce costs of doing business, increase revenue generation, create employment and promote competition and not monopoly in port services.
He said: “What the last administration had done was highly un-charitable and very irresponsible; what they did was to create a monopoly that is anti-people, and not in the interest of the economy.
“Everybody should have a choice of where they want to take their cargoes to. The government concessioned the ports and all of them signed the same documents. “Why do you have to force people to take their cargo to Onne so that they can charge them in dollars? Not only that, their charges are 300 times more than regular charges in other ports.
“We have embarked on a campaign to boycott Onne port facilities. In addition, we are prepared to take our oil and gas goods through Cotonou. If that discrimination continues, then we go through the border and pay duty. “It is very unfortunate because the terminal has become a big problem and it is like a government on its own. That is because the promoters held the last administration by the jugular because they wanted to remain in power at all cost. Thank God, Nigerians have sent them back to the creeks but it is very unfortunate that we are in this mess.”
When our reporter visited Seme and Idiroko borders at the weekend, findings revealed that importers of oil and gas cargoes have carried out their threat to divert their goods from Onne Port based on what they described as the abuse of the monopoly granted them by the last administration.
It was also discovered that importers now bring pipes and other materials meant for water and oil and gas industry through the port of Cotonou in Benin Republic.
Importers of oil and gas cargoes, it was gathered, are now paying shipping charges, terminal handling charges and other sundry charges to the Benin terminal operators.
Aside paying in dollar at Onne port, one of the importers, Mr Felix Johnson, also alleged that the charges were on the high side.
Johnson identified abuse of agreement, arbitrary charges and undue delay to clear cargo as soem of the challenges facing the concession model at the ports.
He admitted that importers now bring pipes and other materials meant for water and oil and gas industry through Cotonou port.
He said the creation of monopoly at Onne is not in the best interest of the Federal Government because of its forex policy.
Johnson said it was wrong to compel businessmen to consign their cargoes to a particular port.
Contacted, Intels Public Relations Manager, Mr Isidore Sambol, confirmed the receipt of foreign currencies by the company for his services.
Sambol said Intels operates in a free zone which he claimed is exempted from the CBN’s forex restriction policy.
“Yes, we are exempted from the forex restriction because we operate in a free trade zone. If you conduct your investigation well, you will notice that free trade zones are not part of the policy.
“You should also be aware that oil and gas is an international business and there is nothing wrong if we collect international currency, mostly United States (U.S) dollar,” he said.
He, however, added that the company may collect the naira equivalent of foreign currency from its clients.
