APM TERMINAL ANNOUNCES N1.3 BLN WAIVER FOR IMPORTERS

The APM Terminals, Apapa, has offered importers N1.3 billion waivers on accumulated storage charges as part of efforts to decongest the port.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the waiver would also affect importers using Lilypond Container Terminal- a dry port in the Ijora area of Lagos.

Mr Koen De Backker, Chief Commercial Officer of APM Terminals said in a statement that 75 per cent waiver had been granted to containers that had stayed at the ports for more than one year.

'At present, there are over 500 containers that qualify for this waiver,' De Backker said. He said that the waiver, expected to expire on August 15, was an incentive to importers.

'We, therefore, request importers to approach the APM Terminals or Lilypond Container Terminal release desks to apply for waiver', he added.

He also urged importers to take advantage of the opportunity to remove their goods and avoid forfeiting such unclaimed containers to government. APM Terminals had in June 2010 granted a 70 per cent waiver on all longstanding National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) containers.

They said the gesture for the NIPP containers, which had been at the port for about three years, was part of their contributions toward the Federal Government's drive to enhance national electricity generation and distribution.