Barge Operators Enumerate Challenges, Appeal For Government Assistance
LAGOS MAY 24TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Faced with numerous challenges for the smooth operation and development of barge operation business in the maritime industry, members of Barge Operators Association of Nigeria (BOAN) have called on the Federal Government and regulators of maritime industry to come to their assistance so that they can be able to execute their business effectively.
Mohammed Nura Wagani, a member of Barge Operators Association of Nigeria and Head of Task Force and Enforcement Licensed Barge Operators made the appeal on Thursday during a round table discussion with members of Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria (MAJAN) at NAGAF village, Apapa, Lagos.
The event which was organized by MAJAN was a one-day proramme to review the activities and policies in the maritime industry in the first quarter of 2021. The programme was equally organized to pave way for maritime experts and stakeholders to give in-depth assessment of the sector in areas of growth, investments in-flow, revenue collection, job creation, contributions to GDP and foreign exchange earnings, among others.
Speaking on the challenges facing Badge Operators, Wagana said that most of the local barge operators are indigenous local barge operators who do not have access to funds , adding that it had made it difficult for its members to access quality sophisticated equipments for the smooth flow of their business. He explained that for now, they leverage on old equipment used by NPA Warri and Port Harcourt in Niger Delta region.
He disclosed that their other problem has to do with untrained captains and crew members who lacked the ethics of the job hence they became workers as barge operators because they find themselves in the coastal area where they were brought up and as such started operating boats and became captain.
“The other challenge we have are multiple taxations from the regulators. Thus, if you do not have access to enough fund, it will affect the business. We have to put behind our mind set that it is capital intensive business because everything on the water is paid by time. Every second counts.
“The other bigger challenge we have is the terminal where we do operate from. We do not have free windows for accessing these terminals because most of them have different charges and accessing their windows is something that we also find difficult to do because of the high cost. This also generate a lot of issues because you cannot bring your barge and stay for days without getting access to the port of loading and discharge and you have been paying the owner s.
“I can remember that in 2018, we demanded for our own barge space so that anytime we come we c have discharge our goods to avoid accumulation of high demourage on our equipments,” he stated.
He pointed out that because members do not have access to carbotage fund, good and sound berge they are operating on zero basis which had hindered the smooth flow of their business, compared to their overseas counterparts who have access to loan and purchased of good equipments.
He explained that 90 percent of their operational barged were chattered because they do not have access to bank loans.
Wagana appealed to the government to come to their aide by giving them zero percent interest loan to acquire equipment so as to have total control over them and be able to move consignment and do very legitimate business.
Hear him, “We are demanding for government and the regulators to come to our financial aide. We have bank of industry, we have bank of everything, but we do have bank of Maritime. If we cannot get fund through the carbotage fund we should be able to access fund through the Bank of Maritime.”
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Posted by News Rangers
on May 24 2021. Filed under Business, National.
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