The minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, on Wednesday, said she would put processes in place to ensure that shipping companies promptly refund container deposits paid by importers and agents.
Speaking during an interactive meeting with maritime stakeholders including terminal operators, shipping companies, freight forwarders and others in Lagos, Saraki frowned at the high cost of doing business at the nation’s seaports, vowing to reverse the trend.
She said, she would work with other stakeholders to reduce cargo dwell time at the port, while assuring stakeholders of sustained communication and engagement to make the ports more productive.
“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.
“And communication is the first step to solving any business problem. So, we are here to talk with our stakeholders. This town hall meeting will hopefully bridge any communication gap and drive the sector to a greater height.
“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,” Saraki said.
The stakeholders commended Saraki for convening the meeting and assured her of full cooperation to reposition the maritime industry for greater productivity.