The Federal Government has given all terminal operators at the nation’s seaports two months to regularise their remittance of Practitioners Operating Fee (POF).
The government said the regularisation will promote global competitiveness and assured sanctions on operators who fail to comply with its collection.
It said POF would build capacity for effective participation of Nigeria in the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement. The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Mrs Magdalene Ajani, said this while speaking at a strategic ministerial meeting with stakeholders, which included terminal operators and freight forwarders in Lagos recently. She warned that the ministry would be left with no choice but to sanction recalcitrant terminal operators who failed to key into the policy of the government regarding the collection of POF. She noted that since the POF came on board, some terminal operators had failed to comply with the Memorandum of Understanding which had resulted in a loss of revenue to the country. “One of the key measures of enhancing the fortunes of freight forwarding in Nigeria is the implementation of the POF that is designed to ensure sustainable funding of the freight forwarding venture in the country. “It is relevant to note that the POF will promote global competitiveness and build capacity for effective participation in the AfCFTA.”
