The Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Benjamin Dikki, said the bureau would support the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in its assignment as economic regulator of seaports in the country.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by BPE’s Head of Public Communications, Mr Chigbo Anichebe.
The statement said that Dikki gave the assurance when the Executive Secretary of the council, Mr Hassan Bello, visited him.
It said that BPE believed that one of the major challenges in the ports reform was the absence of a regulator for the sector, adding that the bureau had advocated for interim regulator pending the passage of the Ports and Harbour Bill.
According to the statement, Dikki expressed hope that the seven bills on economic reform which are before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) are approved and forwarded to the National Assembly for enactment into law.
The bureau charged the council to take necessary measures to improve efficiency at the ports in order to attract increased shipping traffic from neighbouring ports.
The statement said that Bello disclosed that the council had begun the process of developing modern and efficient procedures to make Nigeria’s ports competitive.
According to the statement, Bello promised that the Shippers’ Council, as the ports’ economic regulator, will promote equity of access to port facilities and services.
“The council promised to exercise economic regulation of the ports system in line with government strategic objectives to promote fair trading practices and support the development of the ports,” it said
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