Foreign shipping companies’ local agents have been shortchanging the Nigerian Government to the tune 300million dollars for some years now. The money is accruable levy from 3 per cent levy they collected on behalf of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA), from international shipping companies.
While it was common on the part of the shipping firms as receivers on behalf of NIMASA to receive 3 per cent levy from their parent companies (as Nigeria agents), regrettably they deployed such monies for their personal use.
The shipping companies changed their corporate names, directors and decline to remit the funds to the nation’s consolidated fund account.
They collect monies from international shipping companies, sit it, change their company names and directors, and do business with the funds without remitting to the consolidated fund..
About 12 local shipping firms, some of which have denied the allegation of wholesale indebtedness to government are currently being investigated by the House from 2004 till date.
The affected companies are GAC, Daddo Maritime Services, Blue Sea, Divine Marine, Transoceanic support services, Inchcape Shipping and Maersk.
Others are AlRaine, Hull Blyth CMA CGM- Delmas, Joe Eboje and Peak shipping.
But Gac, Inch Cape, faulted the amounts allegedly owed NIMASA.
For instance from the whooping 172million dollars, Gac argued that it owed less than 5million dollars and not 172million dollars.
It was the same position canvassed by Inch Cape and Hull Blyth.
Both claimed that the figures before the committee did not represent what they owe, since reconciliation of figures was continuous.
According to the firms, some payments made to NIMASA were not receipted, a development that has also jeopardized the reconciliation process.
But based on investigation the committee had vowed to invoke Executive order six and a bench warrant of arrest on the chief executive officer of any of the erring companies
The committee added that the warrant of arrest would be on companies who may have made away with the country’s monies and those who declined to honor and appear before the House panel.
Meanwhile firms indicted will be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for prosecution soon.
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