.Says it will deplete foreign reserve
The National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Chief Increase Uche has said that the implementation of Palletisation policy by the federal government will lead to depletion of Nigeria’s foreign reserves by half within the first six months if not quickly reversed.
The policy requires that all containerised imports and exports in and out of Nigeria are loaded in pallets.
He also explained why the association sacked all its chapter executives to conduct new elections.
Recall that the Minister of Finance had stated at a forum in 2017 that the policy would commence in the 1st oh January, 2018.
It is however not certain if the policy has actually commenced as nobody can confirm its commencement for both imported and exported goods
But Uche has said that the policy would not work in Nigeria because the country is not yet ripe for it.
Explaining, Uche stated that the freight charges paid on one container would increase to three containers with the pallets occupying spaces that are supposed to be taken by goods.
He maintained that the present five thousand dollars paid on imported 1*40 feet will increase to fifteen thousand dollars on same quantity of consignment.
“The cargoes that you can squeeze into a container will now need up to two and a half container of same size because the pallets will consume space and shrinking space in the container.
“You now have to pay three times what you used to pay and you have to open LC in line with the present exchange control by CBN whereby a Nigerian Merchant must open LC on C&F contract instead of FOB.
“If we were to pay here, we will source the money in Naira, you source out of CBN and it will not affect our foreign reserve,” he said.
Speaking on why all the chapter executives were laid off, he said all the immediate past executives faied to meet up with the standards laid down for them.
He added that all of them flouted the rules of the game hence the need to flush them out and bring new executives to be able to meet with the new standard that the group is set to achieve.
Asked why some of the deposed executives are recontesting, he said those ones gave made restitution and have been forgiven.
“The reason we threw former excos out is because they did not keep to contents of electoral guidelines.
“They flouted the rules given to them and that was a serious threat. All of them are culpable.
He however said that it would no longer be business as usual adding that the narratives will hence forth change as the electoral guidelines will be clearly spelt out to get the quality of men the associations wants.
“We will no longer accommodate leaders with lackadaisical attitude. We will start Leadership training with them immediately after the elections,” he explained.
