The Federal Government is set to establish weigh-stations at the nation’s seaport to beat the deadline of the new International Maritime Organization, IMO, law that makes it compulsory for all consignment meant for export to be weighed before leaving their port of origin.
The law is expected to take effect from the 1st of July, 2016.
A senior staff in the ministry of transportation, who revealed this to Vanguard in Abuja, said that government is considering whether to construct the weigh-stations directly before concessioning them or construct them on a Public-Private Partnership basis.
The source said that they are expecting a recommendation to that effect from the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, at the end of the just concluded workshop themed, “Transport cost and regional connectivity of African countries.”
The NSC official said that they also considered the option of allowing terminal operators to handle the weighing of such consignments but reasoned that the terminal operators may use it as a means of further exploiting Nigerian shippers.
