Small business owners in Nigeria have taken to social media to protest the new regulations of logistics businesses by the Nigerian postal service (NIPOST)
This new regulation targeted at courier companies and delivery services, is expected to increase the cost of delivered goods.
According to the new charges by 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 offering national services are expected to pay N10m for licence and N4m yearly for renewal.
Logistics companies operating within regions are expected to pay N5m for licence and N2m annually.
For firms operating within states, the cost of procuring a licence is N2m while renewal costs N800,000.
Courier firms that operate within municipalities are to pay N1m for licence and N400,000 annually.
For Small and Medium Enterprises, the licence is N250,000 while the annual renewal of the licence is N100,000.
According to business strategy expert, Ayo Bankole NIPOST has just declared war on small and medium scale businesses in Nigeria, because logistics has become a flashpoint of trade during the COVID-19 pandemic with many SMEs relying on it for transactions, & many youths who lost income elsewhere investing. “What is happening is a tragedy.” He says.
Nigerian business owners have since taken to social media with the hashtag #SayNoToNipostFee to protest the new regulations
Lagos State, which is the commercial nerve centre of the country, is believed to have not less than 300 courier services many of whom are not registered with NIPOST.
The new charges imposed by NIPOST, it was learnt, were part of an attempt to increase its revenue and sanitise the system.
