COVID-19: NPA extends suspension of terminal storage fees by 14 days

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said it has directed all terminal operators to extend the suspension of all applicable terminal storage fees on consignments for another 14 days effective April 13, 2020.

NPA, which stated that this was due to the extension of the lockdown by the Federal Government on Sunday, April 12, 2020 in response to the coronavirus outbreak otherwise known as COVID-19, said that the suspension was part of the relief measure to port users that found it difficult to take delivery of their consignment as a result of the lockdown.

“This gesture was in recognition of the pressure, which the COVID-19 pandemic imposes on businesses, the responsibility imposed on the Authority to relief this burden on its customers as well as attaining the objective of the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business Policy at this trying period,” said Jatto Adams, general manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications of NPA in a statement issued over the weekend.

According to Adams, the Authority had already stated that compensation to terminal operators would be as stated in its April 8, 2020 letter to the terminal operators.

He warned that the authority would not tolerate any form of non-compliance with the directive and not hesitate to apply the appropriate sanctions even as the NPA thanked all stakeholders for their cooperation.