By Òlopà Ìlegbé
The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has expressed its displeasure over Maersk Line for the huge challenge in its container deposit refund process.
According to the association, the account statements for container deposit refund by Maersk Line don’t reflect the Bill of Lading number as the narrative, thereby making it difficult for freight forwarders to know which container deposits have been returned.
NAGAFF made this known in a letter addressed to the shipping line titled: “Complaint On Non-Reflection Of Bill Of Lading Number As Narrative On Refund Account Statement,” signed by the Deputy National President, Seaports, Chief Adam Chukwuma.
The group stressed that clarity in the narrative on the payments will enable its members and the entire freight forwarding practitioners differentiate, which refund is paid for which application.
Part of the letter read: “We wish to bring to your notice the complaint we have received severally from members of NAGAFF, based on the fact that the refunds paid from MAERSK Line shipping company does not come with Bill of Lading number as the narrative, to be able to distinguish, which of the refund was paid for and which was not.”
“Based on this, we hereby advice that MAERSK LINE should, as a matter of urgency, address this anomaly as such is not being experienced from other shipping companies.”
While stating that the challenge maybe from the banks being utilised by the shipping company, the group advised Maersk Line to enforce the change as the payer by communicating the ideal payment instructions clearly to the commercial banks.
NAGAFF beckoned on Maersk Line to address the issue speedily as future complaints from its members will see the matter escalated further.
