A former President, Shippers Association of Lagos State, Jonathan Nicole, has urged the newly appointed Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Mr Akutah Ukeyima, to address the price increment at the nation’s ports.

Mr Nicole spoke on Thursday in Lagos.

He called on the new executive secretary to work with the stakeholders and reach an agreement on price increment affecting the growth of the industry.

Nicole stressed that this was one of the issues to be addressed to reduce the cost of doing business at the port.

“Shippers/importers, freight forwarders, transporters, shipping companies, terminal operators are members of the family and they form the collective bargaining in local negotiations mechanism,” he said.

According to him, addressing the price issue in the port will bring transparency into the system.

“Shippers have come of age. They have always paid their freight charges themselves without any issue, through the required approved channels of government.

“There should be stable rate of exchange along with the Form M which is not subject to unfair changes at time of clearing cargo at the ports,” he said.

According to him, the NSC as the Port Economic Regulator is the umbrella of shippers, importers and exporters who move goods in and out of the country regularly.

Mr Nicole assured Ukeyima that the shippers would work with him to ensure the growth and development of the industry.

“He is about to handle a sensitive instrument. We will work together to make our trade attractive with his presence as our trusted leader at the helm of affairs,” he said.

 (NAN)