A top government source, who spoke with TM on the matter said the sustained attacks were coming from those benefiting from the loopholes in the clearing process who have realised that there is no more room to rob government of its revenue.
“Despite the economic and security benefits, few people and organisations have been spreading false information on the scheme. Well, it is understandable. Most of those crying foul are those who have literally fixed their umbilical cords in the hitherto non-transparent port clearance procedures, milking the nation dry. Where there is no orderliness, transparency takes flight. Now that such unpatriotic act is about to stop, they have launched a campaign of calumny against it. That is to be expected. But ICTN enthrones transparency. Government would no longer lose billions annually. CBN, Customs and other stakeholders are partnering with us. The mantra of change from shady deals to transparent transaction cannot be compromised. The Shippers’ Council made a presentation at the Ministry and the Transport Minister saw the sense in ICTN. It has come to stay,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the Director, Commercial Shipping Services of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mrs. Dabney Shall-Holma, in a recent interview with newsmen, explained that the charges as published by some manufacturers as additional cost on imports and exports have nothing to do with the shippers or importers but the shipping lines.
According to her, it was wrong to say that the ICTN will attract additional cost to shippers that are importing or exporting goods at the moment, adding that, “rather, the ICTN comes from payments that are already payable per consignment.”
Shall-Holma explained: “The charges as published was a notice to guide shipping companies, lines and agencies in their preparation of their Movement Reference Number (MRN), which is the document they are supposed to prepare after the Entry Summary Number (ENS) has been filled in by the shipper. The ENS is completed by the shipper and it is at no cost, which means the shipper does not pay anything.
“However, the intendment of the cargo tracking note right from when it was established in 1998 in Libreville, Gabon, was to get the major components that make up freight as well as surcharges to the West and Central African sub-region. You will notice that there is a huge outflow of trade from West and Central African sub-region on account of freight.
It is not in the basic freight but in freight additionals, in the bunker adjustment factor, currency adjustment factor that is never altered, and in the various surcharges, whether they are war risk or freight taxation or emergency recovery surcharges. So there are so many surcharges. And it is this retinue of charges that we have said that for those of them that are freight tax, these payments can come from there because there is already a taxation that is undefined.
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