NPA to consider 30% tariff rebate to attract cargoes to eastern port

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Thursday said it is considering granting a 30 per cent tariff rebate to terminal operations as a way of attracting cargo to the Eastern ports. This is even as it disclosed that it has concluded plans with the terminal operators to begin the reconstruction of the collapsed berths at […]

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Thursday said it is considering granting a 30 per cent tariff rebate to terminal operations as a way of attracting cargo to the Eastern ports.

This is even as it disclosed that it has concluded plans with the terminal operators to begin the reconstruction of the collapsed berths at the Rivers Port in Port Harcourt.

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Mohammed Bello-Koko, the Managing Director, who disclosed this in Port Harcourt on Thursday during his maiden visit to the port, revealed that years ago the NPA gave the terminal operators a tariff rebate that did not translate to traffic as related to the port.

He said that his management is currently reviewing the request for a 30 per cent rebate put forward by terminal operators but that rebate must come with conditions.

“We are discussing with the terminal operators and we may come up with a higher or lower rebate but we will put a timeline to see the impact of the rebate. Some of the terminals have started getting involved with processing export, which is key to the NPA and the country at large. It is one of the things that would determine the amount of rebate to give to the terminal operators,” he added.

On plans to rehabilitate the collapsed berth, he said the Authority has given BUA Terminal, one of the terminal operators, the final approval for the submitted design, which means the NPA expects construction would commence soon.

According to him, the berths 5 to 8 of the BUA Terminal that were built in the 1920s, collapsed years back.

“They have really decayed which was why we decommissioned some of them but the agreement is for BUA to reconstruct some of them,” he said.

Bello-Koko however said the NPA is dissatisfied with the speed at which BUA is carrying out the repair works as the Authority expected that the reconstruction should have started a few months ago.

“We understand the need to plan properly but that plan is over and we expect that they should have resumed reconstruction on those berths,” he said.