Many Nigerians have decried the introduction of new costs of licence for logistics and courier services.
The new charges introduced by Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) are expected to cause an increase in the cost of courier services and delivery goods.
According to NIPOST, companies which provide international courier services like DHL, UPS and FEDEX, are expected to pay N20m for a new licence and N8m annually while those who offer national services are expected to pay N10m for licence and N4m yearly for renewal.
Logistics companies that operate within regions are expected to pay N5m for licence and N2m annually.
For firms that operate within states, the cost of procuring a licence is N2m while the renewal costs N800, 000.
Courier firms that operate within municipalities are to pay N1m for licence and N400,000 annually.
While for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), the licence is N250,000 while the annual renewal of the licence is N100,000.
The SME category is for small courier firms which have not more than five delivery vehicles.
The move, according to reports, would increase the cost of goods purchased online and delivery services.
Many small business mainly serve their customers online and depends on courier and logistics companies to deliver goods to their customers. The practice is most common in Lagos, Oyo state and Abuja.
Lagos State, which is the commercial nerve centre of the country, reportedly have over 300 courier services, many of whom are not registered with NIPOST.
The new charges imposed by NIPOST, according to Punch, are part of an attempt to increase its revenue and sanitise the system.
The General Manager, Corporate Communications, Franklin Alao, said in a statement that the new regulations were not planned to frustrate ease of doing business rather they aimed to promote growth of MSMEs.
He stated;
It is part of the strategies to ensure effective service delivery as consumers would know the capacities of the operators they are dealing with. Kindly note that consumers of the courier service would be better off as this will drive charlatans out of the industry. Genuine and serious operators would come back to celebrate this move by the NIPOST.
However, the charges have however sparked negative reactions from many Nigerians especially Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) owners.
Many online retailers and other aggrieved Nigerians have taken to social media to lament the new development.
See some reactions from Twitter users below;
Dear @femigbaja, please block this needless policy by Nipost that will cripple thousands of small businesses. Thousands of young people have created their own jobs and are trying to just survive. This will kill thousands of #MSMEs. Please don’t let it happen. Counting on you sir. pic.twitter.com/33ucYLlVMb
— Dr. Dípò Awójídé (@OgbeniDipo) July 24, 2020
NIPOST has just declared war on SMEs in Nigeria, sadly on the eve of the #LagosSMEbootcamp. Logistics has become a flashpoint of trade during COVID, many SMEs relying on it for transactions, & many youths who lost income elsewhere investing. What is happening is a tragedy. Thread
— Ayò Bánkólé (@AyoBankole) July 24, 2020
If NIPOST was working effectively and serving the needs of the everyday Nigerian, would there be a need for the plenty logistics companies? I’ve said it before, most of the policies developed in this country are meant to kill business owners and the masses in general.
— Wale Adetona (@iSlimfit) July 24, 2020
NIPOST is collecting 1 million Naira from small logistics businesses?
How much do they make per year? Pay their riders? Service their bikes? Buy fuel? Pay Agbero on the road? Health insurance?
I have always said it! This country is not a zoo but an evil forest!
— Rinu The Hustler🔥🔫🎠 (@SavvyRinu) July 24, 2020
Nigeria is really something.
– NIPOST wants logistics companies to pay for licenses.
– FG is imposing 6% tax on tenants.
– Electricity companies want to implement higher tariffs.
– We are still in a pandemic
– Distance/Online learning is impossible.Where do we even start from?
— LEO 💀 (@LeoinAbuja) July 24, 2020
NIPOST just came out from the grave to kill the courier business that everyday Nigerians have been using to sustain themselves……and y’all gon’ let it happen? 🤔
— Ferdy…. 🐅 (@_The_Immortal) July 24, 2020
NIPOST is asking SMEs that want to operate within Lagos to pay N2,000,000 and then N800,000 annually. I am confident that NIPOST did not use any data or logical reasoning to arrive at this pricing. It points solely to a libidinal urge for more money, which again will be siphoned. pic.twitter.com/KCdemAEzfj
— Ayò Bánkólé (@AyoBankole) July 24, 2020
Do you know how many young people have created opportunities for themselves through social retail?
Payment companies like Flutterwave and Paystack just plugged into this and NIPOST is here to frustrate everyone with charges that even they can’t justify.— The CV Writer (@FunkeOnafuye) July 24, 2020
This is pure wickedness and show of greed, ”NIPOST” is supposed to be an IGR for the government not a dog to kill the ability of Nigerians, if you can not meet up with the competition in the industry, inform the person that appointed you and close the damn shop!!!! pic.twitter.com/wDPqHk7KDm
— Akeula Trendy™ (@akeula_trendy) July 24, 2020
Wait…NIPOST?
They’re still alive to want to collect registration fees from logistics companies?
What the actual hell?!
— Nedu Ekeke #BBOG (@Nedunaija) July 24, 2020
How can you regulate those you are competing with? It’s like Arsenal playing Liverpool while the Arsenal manager is also the referee. NIPOST cannot play & regulate. The same applies to any system anywhere that practises this. It is anti-progressive, cronyistic and just stupid!
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) July 24, 2020
