South-East traders protest high demurrages at ports

Traders under the aegis of South-East Amalgamated Markets Traders Association have protested high demurrage at ports across the country.

They said their goods were being confiscated by clearing agencies and other authorities.

As a result, they have petitioned the National Assembly to intervene.

They urged NASS to prevail on the handling agencies to release their consignments that had continued to attract demurrage not caused by the traders.

They alleged that their goods worth millions of naira had been seized by “the authorities and handling agencies” at the nation’s ports.

The petition signed by their president, Chief Gozie Akudolu and Secretary, Alex Okwudiri, said most of their members raised funds through bank loans and overdrafts to import the goods from Asia and Europe.

They said, “The cargoes and consignments of our members were lying at the facilities of the handling companies at the ports all the period of lockdown while the interest on the loans and overdrafts with which the goods were imported were accumulating with the banks.

“The worst now came with the cargo handling companies that had, over the period, shut down and refused services to our members, now demand demurrage for the consignments”. Punch