ABUJA, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Nigeria plans to bar vessels
without a valid licence to operate in Nigerian waters and has
given shipping companies that trade in its coastal and inland
waters three months to register, the maritime regulator said on
Sunday.
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency
(NIMASA) said it will notify international oil companies to bar
vessels without valid certificates after the three months
expire.
Most of the vessels that use Nigerian waters are owned by
foreign companies. They mostly transport crude oil for
international oil companies.
The regulator said the new regime would also apply to
vessels whose licences have already expired.
The government is pushing to boost revenue and increase it
foreign exchange earnings after the new coronavirus pandemic
triggered a collapse in the price of oil, Nigeria's main export.
Levies -- import duties and shipping charges including taxes
-- are big revenue earners for Nigeria, which relies on
international trade, especially oil exports.
Danish shipping and oil group A.P. Moller-Maersk
MAERSKb.CO and French shipping group Bourbon GPBN.PA are
among international shipping companies active in Nigeria.