Shippers move to resist high port charges

THE President, Shippers Association, Lagos State, Mr Jonathan Nicol, on Thursday said its members would resist high charges by shipping companies and terminal operators.

Mr Nicol who said this to news men in Lagos, against the backdrop of controversies between the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), shipping companies and terminal operators on port charges, added that the shippers’ associations had been calling for a reduction in port and other cargo handling charges for many years.

 He said the shipping lines and terminal operators should know that without the shippers, without the cargoes, they would not raise invoices against anyone.

The shipper said it was mandatory for all terminal operators and shipping companies to take their empty containers, adding that not taking such containers had created a major traffic problem at the ports.