Shippers seek more powers for NSC to sanction erring service providers

The Fe d e r a l Government needs to consider giving more power to the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) as the port economic regulator to address anomalies imposed on importers and exporters by service providers, shippers have said.

The Rivers/ Bayelsa Shippers Association ( RIBASA), who made this call recently, said this would help the Council in checking the activities of shipping companies and terminal operators especially as regards imposing illegal charges on port users.

Ofon Udofia, president of the RIBASA, who acknowledged that the Council has been able to curtail the excesses of the service providers in the past, told newsmen that the Council would do better with more powers.

To him, the scenario would change automatically if NSC was accorded stronger political will and constitutional powers, which is evident in how well the agency has promoted trade facilitation.

He said the Council deserves more power like the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which has unconstrained constitutional powers to bring erring telecoms service providers to book.

Udofia pointed out that such has become necessary especially when service providers fail to negotiate charges and getting approval before imposing them on the consumers of shipping services.

The RIBASA President however commended the NSC for protecting shippers from illegal charges and other unfair trade practices from the service providers.

“With the Council, service providers have been careful in imposing unfair trade practices on consumers of shipping services. We commend the port economic regulator for encouraging shippers to do things right for the best interest of trade facilitation and ease of doing business,” he added.