The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has instructed all shipping lines and their agencies to immediately halt the application of recently approved tariffs.
The council’s management issued the directive which was made available to journalists on Friday following ongoing discussions with important stakeholders regarding the new charges.
The NSC claims that the engagements were intended to address issues with the tariffs’ timing, structure, and possible effects on logistics operations and port users.
“The Council believes that further implementation must be stopped in order to protect sectoral stability, fair competition, and transparency.
“We want to make sure that before any new tariff structure is enforced, all operators and stakeholders are in agreement,” the statement read.
All impacted operators were instructed by the council to return to and rigorously implement the prior tariff regime.
The NSC cautioned that any deviation from the previous tariff structure will be treated as a breach of compliance and will attract sanctions under the law.
“Our priority is to protect cargo interests and maintain an efficient and equitable maritime transport system for all stakeholders,” a council spokesman underlined.
Additionally, the NSC promised to announce a final stance after internal reviews and consultations were finished. Operators have been asked to guarantee prompt and rigorous compliance.
The suspension will be in place until the consultations and a thorough regulatory review are completed.
