Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), has revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had returned the Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) bill that would empower to fully transmute to a port regulator over its mandate section of the Bill and the 1 per cent Freight Stabilisation fee.
The Executive of the council, Dr. Pius Akutah revealed that the issues surrounding the NPERA Bill have however, been addressed and the Bill, saying that it was currently at the National Assembly for assessment before proceeding back to the Presidency for assent.
Akutah added that the NPERA bill was returned by Mr. President to the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice for advisory due to issues raised over the mandate section of the Bill, 1 per cent Freight Stabilisation fee and also the new role of the Shippers Council as Port Economic Regulator.
He explained l: “But those issues have been clarified by the council. We met with the Attorney General of the Federation and we have looked at those issues one after the other.
“The issues created a little bit of confusion but that has been resolved because the gazette of the Presidential Order of 2015 and the regulations of 2015 have all been handed over to the Minister of Justice.
“So, they have now looked at it again to see that the council mandate has changed by the order of the president appointing the Shipper’s Council as the port economic regulator.”
Akuta added that the aspects that needed to be corrected had been corrected and the bill had been returned to the National Assembly for onward delivery to Mr. President for assent.
He streseed: “You can’t correct a bill that has been passed without the National Assembly looking at it. The corrections are not so many, just a few of them regarding the mandate and then regarding the 1 percent freight fee.
“The Bill is still with the National Assembly. You know that they have been on recess. They were supposed to resume last week but I think they moved it forward.
“As soon as the National Assembly resumes sitting, they will look at this quickly and then do all the corrections and send it back.
“On mandate, the issue was whether the Council has the mandate to become the Port Economic Regulator.
“That mandate was given to the Council under the Presidential Order of 2015. This fact was not very well known to the Ministry of Justice at the point when the Bill came back to them.
“Also, the regulations of 2015, which has copiously given the nitty-gritty of what the Port Economic Regulator will do, was also not known at the time when the Bill got to the Ministry. So, the Ministry of Justice called us and we provided all those details to them.
“Then the provision regarding the 1 per cent freight stabilisation fee. The provision appeared to be saying that the freight fee was going to be the funding of the agency, whereas it is the revenue to be generated by the agency. So, those corrections have been made.”
