Joy Onome Monije, Spokesperson, Tin-Can Chapter of ANLCA
Weak Online Banking Mars Cargo Clearance At Lagos Ports
Fred Omotara, Lagos
Clearing agents operating at the nations busiest ports of Apapa and Tin-Can have lamented the delays experienced in clearing cargoes when conducting payment transactions online.
Speaking with kadecommunicationng exclusively, Spokesperson for the Tin-Can Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Joy Onome Monije lamented that online payment has become very difficult to conduct seamlessly since the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Naira redesign policy forced many people to transact more with electronic payment solutions.
According to the ANLCA Tin-Can Chapter Spokesperson, “We need the various banks to upgrade their online payment solutions. Maybe because of the CBN Naira redesign policy which forced many people to go with online payment solutions, thereby increasing the pressure on the various online banking networks, thereby making online payment for duty or shipping charges now extremely difficult.
“Three days ago, I made a payment to a shipping company for a cargo. I was debited but the shipping company is yet to see my money reflect in their account. Because of this situation, I have not been able to take my container out of the port. The situation is crazy because the longer days the cargo spends in the port, the more demurrage and storage charges that I will have to pay to the shipping company and the port terminal operator.
“This is the dilemma we are facing at the port at the moment. Our online payment solutions have not been effective. Many cargoes are trapped inside the ports because duty payments and shipping charges that have been made online by clearing agents have not reflected in the accounts of the receivers.
“Today, I listened to Mr. President speech where he approved that the old N200 should remain legal tender alongside the new N200, N500 and N1000. The question is can we get the N200 at the banks in enough quantity?
“The CBN should make the old and new N200 available to bank customers at the various banks to ease the frustration we are currently going through in getting funds.
“Cargoes are trapped at the ports because many payments made online are hanging. This is really frustrating.”
