The post privatisation monitoring team commissioned by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to evaluate the progress of the Lagos Port Terminals has submitted its report with a verdict that tariffs remained high, against pre-concession estimations.

Daily Trust learnt that the report was last week presented by the team leader Malam Dikko Abdullahi to the Director General of the BPE Mr.Christopher Anyanwu.

The monitoring team regretted that tariffs have only marginally decreased from their pre-concession levels, but however said efforts were being made by key stakeholders to see how the tariffs and other charges could be brought down to about 50% of their pre-concession levels as initially envisaged in the ports reform strategy.

Receiving the report, the BPE boss, Dr. Christopher Anyanwu, said the overall success of the reform and privatization program of the Federal Government would be determined by its impact on the national economy.

The monitoring exercise was carried out from November 30 to December 4, 2009 at the Lagos port terminals.

He said the exercise was conducted with a view to ensuring that the concessionaires comply fully with the terms and conditions of their concessions as enshrined in the Concession Agreement and to assess the overall success of the ports reform program and its impact on the economy.

Dikko Abdullahi had told the Director General that: "Though most of the port terminals were handed over to their concessionaries in 2006, the operators have recorded appreciable level of success especially in areas of infrastructure and equipment, sanitation, security and cleanliness of the terminal environment."

Abdullahi also said: "They have commenced the implementation of their development plans; in some cases the performance indices have exceeded the initial projections of the concession agreement."

Some terminal operators however, were observed to have performed below the requirement of the concession agreement.

The team noted that the ambience of the port terminals have improved and security beefed up with the construction of perimeter fencing, functional lighting and other security measures as specified in the concession agreement. As a result, stealing and pilferage rate had drastically reduced, a statement from the BPE's spokesman, Mr Chigbo Anichebe said.