Some Customs Brokers have urged the freight forwarding members to use the Alternative Conflict Resolution desk set up by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to settle trade disputes.
Some of the brokers spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.
Mr Increase Uche, CRFFN council member, said the council has taken the initiative to set up Alternative Conflict Resolution desk in order to fast track and address unresolved trade disputes in the sector.
According to him, the Alternative Conflict Resolution desk is necessary as there were many unresolved trade disputes in the maritime sector in Nigeria that were still pending in the court.
“The inability of the nation’s judicial to quickly dispense judgment on maritime-related cases was affecting the flow of businesses in the port.
“There are some cases, such as undue charges and system failure in port, which are still pending and could easily be settled with the help of the CRFFN dispute resolution scheme.
“Also the more trade conflicts linger on, the more the investors involved losses money and goodwill.
“But when it is quickly settled, lost of capital and assets will be reduced and confidence in the sector will be heightened,” he said.
He, therefore, said that the Council was working hard to ensure that most of the issues that cause cargo clearing transaction dispute were curtailed.
Also, Mr Giddy Sewa-Soleji, a broker, and Chairman Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) said that the dispute resolution desk has been helpful.
According to him, many cases that are still pending in court are mostly internationally trade-related disputes that could rub the sector of transactions.
The chairman called on CRFFN to compel shipping companies to construct holding Bayes to ease gridlock around the Lagos port area.
He said that since inception in 2018 the Council resolution desk has been stabilising the rise of trade crisis that could have lingered
(NAN)
