The Hindu Business Line : TPT relaxes 5-year standing eligibility norms for ships

THE Tuticorin Port Trust (TPT) has made the port a more attractive destination for mainline container vessels, calling at the box terminal run by PSA-SICAL combine, by relaxing the `five-year standing' norm for lines to become eligible for the package marine charges introduced by the port from April 1 this year.

The move to scrap the eligibility norm is aimed at revving up the container traffic through more direct call of mainline container vessels .

The Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP) has accepted the proposal submitted by the TPT to drop the five-year standing norm through an order issued on October 22, which amended its March 17 order approving the levy of package marine charges on mainline container vessels calling at the port.

The scheme was applicable to individual lines or consortium subject to the condition that the consortium shall be a registered body having a standing of at least five years and the consortium should specify the number of calls to be performed by its members individually.

The TPT had written to the TAMP in October, submitting that the condition prescribing a five-year standing for individual lines or consortium to avail of the benefit envisaged in the package marine charges was found to be very stringent.

"There is a general consensus to dispense with this stipulation", the port had informed the TAMP.

Following the October 22 amendment, the scheme will now be applicable to individual lines or consortium subject to the conditions, specified earlier.

The amendment to the eligibility norms for the package marine charges will come into force retrospectively from April 1, the date from which the scheme was introduced by the TPT.

As per the scheme, the package marine charges for main line container vessels between 16,000 gross-registered tonnes (GRT) and 21,000 GRT will be $10,250 plus actual berth hire charges.

This package will be admissible to services to new international destinations beyond Salalah in the West or Singapore in the East to which, services are not currently available from the Tuticorin port. This would mean ships sailing to the West Coast of the US, Europe and Africa.

Whereas, the package rates for mainline container vessels above 21,000 GRT will be $13,750 plus actual berth hire charges.

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