NPA Lifts Suspension Order On Shipping Firms

The Nigerian Ports Authority has lifted the 10-day suspension order it last week placed on four shipping firms, Mearsk Line, Cosco Shipping, APS and Lansal, over the issue of operating holding bays for their containers.

The agency disclosed this in a statement on Monday titled, ‘Holding bays: NPA reviews suspension order on shipping companies’, which was signed by the Assistant General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, Issah Suwaid.

The NPA gave the affected companies two weeks, from Friday July 20, to upgrade their holding bay capacities in order to ensure sustainable relationship.

The statement read in part, “Among the conditions are that the affected companies must increase the capacity of their holding bays, ranging from 1,800 Ten Equivalent Units to 7,500 TEUS; that the affected companies will sign off on the volume capacity of the holding bays verified at the end of the grace period; and that at the expiration of the two weeks, an inspection will be conducted to ascertain compliance.”

The agency also warned that further sanctions would be applied for failure to meet the said conditions.

The statement added, “The two-week period of grace granted to the four affected shipping companies was sequel to a meeting the authority held with officials of the companies over the weekend. The decision by the NPA to grant the period of grace was after due consideration of their presentations at the meeting and a subsequent joint inspection of their existing facilities.

“A formal letter dated July 20, informing the affected companies of the review of the suspension order signed by the General Manager, Marine & Operations, Mr Joshua Asanga, on behalf of the Managing Director, Hadiza Usman, has since been dispatched.”