The Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, has frowned at the high cost of doing business at the nation’s seaports, vowing to reverse the trend.
Speaking during an interactive meeting with maritime stakeholders including terminal operators, shipping companies, freight forwarders and others in Lagos, Saraki said she would put processes in place to ensure that shipping companies promptly refund container deposits paid by importers and agents.
She promised to work with other stakeholders to reduce cargo dwell time at the port and assured the stakeholders of sustained communication and engagement to make the ports more productive.
She stated: “The maritime industry is a major engine room in our national economy and as such, we must ensure that infrastructure is adequate and that there’s synergy across the industry while providing access to all our stakeholders.
“The enterprise architecture we plan on implementing will ensure that the communication is dynamic and not stagnant and integrate into the ministry’s plan. At Federal Ministry of Transportation, we value all our stakeholders as partners in governance and business.”
The stakeholders commended Saraki for convening the meeting and assured her of full cooperation to reposition the maritime industry for greater productivity.