The Coalition of Port Dry Cargo Transport Operators on Thursday disrupted activities at the Lagos Port Complex over the proposed N10, 000 annual truck levy by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
Members of the union rejected the proposed levy, carried placards and barricaded some major roads leading to the premier port.
The placards had inscriptions like: “No to N10, 000 Per Truck Per Annum’’; “Yes to Safety Minimum Standard’’; “Enough of Levies, Fines and All Forms of Extortions’’, and “Dismantle Bottlenecks That Yield Corruption’’.
Spokesman of the union, Mr Timothy Anosike, said the union totally rejected the N10,000 levy, adding that members had paid a lot of levies which could not be accounted for.
“Our demonstration is to notify the stakeholders about our position on the proposed N10, 000 levy by the Nigerian Ports Authority.
“If NPA should go ahead with implementation of the levy, members will have no alternative than to boycott operations,’’ Anosike said.
According to him, it is not in the interest of the industry for an organisation to take a unilateral decision on levy without consulting those who might be affected.
He said that as one of the major players in the industry, the union’s position should be respected.
Anosike urged NPA to maintain the status quo.
An NPA official, who preferred anonymity, said that the management was still studying the situation and might later come up with a position.
