The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has directed terminal operators to suspend all applicable terminal storage fees, known as demurrage, on consignments.
The directive was announced in a statement released on Friday by Jatto Adams, NPA’s general manager of corporate and strategic communications.
According to the statement, the suspension of the charges will be for an initial period of 21 days, effective from March 23.
The NPA said the gesture is in recognition of the pressure that the coronavirus outbreak has imposed on businesses and its own responsibility to relieve customers of the burden.
The gesture, it said, is also in line with the federal government’s ease of doing business policy at this trying period.
“This gesture is in recognition of the pressure that the COVID-19 pandemic imposed on businesses, the responsibility imposed on the authority to relieve this burden on its customers as well as attaining the objective of the federal government’s ease of doing business policy at this trying period,” it said.
“The authority recognises the financial implications of these policies on the terminal operators and will consider a shift in our operational charges to ameliorate the situation of stakeholders. The NPA thanks all stakeholders for their cooperation.”
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country has risen to 81.