ETO CALL-UP SYSTEM AND FREIGHT FORWARDERS PARTICIPATION: A WELCOMED DEVELOPMENT

 

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By Patrick Ogboo

The vision  of the  management of Nigerian Ports Authority NPA to ensure that container logistics through land mode of transport is digitalised with a view to achieve seamless vehicular movement and address all the encumberances on the corridor have yielded fruit, courtesy of Truck Transit Park Ltd (TTP),  the service provider engaged by the Authority.

Speaking about the initiative recently, Chief Sir Patrick Ogboo

Maritime consultant/logistic expert, said the TTP's innovative ideas to ensure that truck management in the ports access roads of lagos ports is in line with international best practice in cargo logistics through the participation of the Freight Forwarders in the management of call up system have manifested in the orderliness of truck movement in and out of the ports.This was achieveable due to lectures and  awarenes campaigns to sensitised frieght forwarders on thier roles and involvement at every stage of their  operations in the process and procedures of getting call up papers by themselves without middle man. The need to monitor the movement of the trucks/truck drivers engaged for the  contract of carriage of  their containers 

The freight forwarders have being at the receving end of all infractions amounting to default by idea the truckers or the terminal/ its personel that constitute delay in the container exit out of the port.

 Recall that frieght forwarders bears the blunt of delay in dwelling time of containers in the port which results in incurring demurrage worth millions of naira in the lading containers at the ports

The TTP' company find it necessary to bring in the ahents handling  the containers (the frieght forwarders) to avoid the third and fourth parties to eliminate racketeering of call up papers . 

The stakeholders in the cargo logistics chain have applauded the effort of ttp by proffering solutions to the challenges in this sector and commended them  for job well done.

It is the believe of frieght forwarders and trackers that introduction of e-tag will bring to a stop, all the sharp practices in the truck movement in and out of the port. 

The stakeholders in the transport cargos logistics are appealing to the management of Nigerian Ports Authority to grant approval to ttp to enforce the use of e-tag as this will bring to an end racketeering and other associated sharp practices in the sector. 

Introduction of e-tag fall in line with the concept of just in time (JIT) approach in cargo logistics which tallies with global best practice .

We are uptimistic  that the management of NPA led by Dr Abubakar Danshoho whose administrative ingenuiry in port management have done well in all areas of operations within a short period of his administration have impacted positively in areas challengesin the industry,  will grant approval for use of e-tag by ttp to save the Freight Forwarders and the nation of revenue due to gridlocks at the ports access corridors. 

The MD Dr Abubakar Danshoho has a listening ears and his quick response to issues is highly commendable, to this extent, we in the frieght business who were at the receving end of delay of containers at the ports due to excesses of unemployed characters in the sector,  we are of the hope that the MD in usual way address the issue of e-tag as this will go a long way to alleviate our suffering and  revenue lost both to federal government.  

It is our believe that transport space of marine and blue economy will be better if the issue of e-tag is addressed

Chief/Sir Patrick Ogboo is Maritime Consultant and a Logistics Expert, he writes from Lagos.