[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Ports and Terminal Multiservices Ltd. (PTML) Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has blamed the nation’s poor economic performance in 2015, partly on the nation’s auto policy.
While addressing newsmen penultimate week, the command’s spokesman, Mr. Steve Okonmah, revealed that in 2015, PTML’s revenue generation fell from N91.45 billion in 2014 to N63.18 billion in 2015.
According to him, the shortfall was caused by the 2015 election and the “auto policy`’.
“PTML is strictly a Roll On Roll Off (RORO) vehicle port,” Okonmah stated. “And the short fall in cargo throughput accounted for the decrease in revenue in 2015. In 2013, Roll On Roll Off vehicles were 172, 174 units; in 2014, there were 129,361 units and in 2015, the Roll On Roll Off vehicles were 66,823 units.
“Also in 2013, the command received 111,414 containers, had 99,706 containers in 2014; and 38, 343 containers in 2015.”
According to the PTML’s Public Relations Officer, the auto policy has “had a devastating effect on the economy.
He said the policy resulted in record low activities of clearing agents recently, because, according to him, most cars had been diverted to Cotonou Port in Republic of Benin.
He, therefore, called on government to review the auto policy to enable more cars come through Nigerian ports.
In a related development, Okonmah expressed concern over the bad state of the port access road and urged the government to look into the problem.. According to him, people spent a lot of hours on the road before coming into the ports.
Notwithstanding, Okonmah assured that PTML will not relent its effort in assisting the Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali to achieve his mandate.
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