Agents kick as FG makes POF payment mandatory for cargo clearance

Clearing agents and freight forwarders have kicked against the Federal Government’s approval of Practitioners Operating Fee (POF) payment as one of the requirements for cargo release across the nation’s seaports and land borders.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, who gave the approval in a letter dated 6th January, 2020, and signed by the Director, Home Finance, Okokon Udo, stated that freight forwarders must henceforth show receipt of payment of POF before they can exit their cargoes at the ports.

The agents, who spoke at a sensitization workshop organised by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) in Lagos on Tuesday, lamented that the implementation of the new directive by the Finance Minister will lead to congestion and increase the cost of doing business at the nation’s ports.

According to CRFFN, under the POF regime, importers will pay N3.50 per every ton of cargo imported into the country, N1.50 per kilo of every air cargo, N1, 000 on every imported 20-feet container and 2,000 per 40-feet container.

Although no new date has been fixed for the collection of the controversial POF after several failed attempts by the Council, CRFFN, is however, expected to rake in as much as N10 billion annually from the imposition of these fees on shippers.

Public Relations Officers, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, PTML Chapter, Suleiman Ayokunle, expressed disappointment at CRFFN, saying that the Council has not done enough to address operational challenges faced by agents at the port but is more interested in the collection of POF.