The Hindu Business Line : Kochi steamer agents halt decision on `port congestion surcharge'

THE Steamer Agents Association in Kochi has once again suspended temporarily its decision to impose a `port congestion surcharge' on the trade, following slight improvement in the container terminal operations.

Sources in the association said that the performance at the gantry berth at the Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal (RGCT) had slightly improved in the last week in view of the measures taken by the port authorities. The port management had pressed into service 2 RTG cranes, 2 reach stackers and one light reach stacker after conducting necessary repair works.

It may be recalled that the association had decided to impose a surcharge at the range of $100 per TEU on two occasions in October and November, in view of the stack congestion resulting in shut-out of vessels from the berth in the last few weeks.

According to steamer agents, the productivity in the container terminal had gone up last week to 70-75 per gantry per shift following the improvement in the situation against 45-50 witnessed in the previous week. However, they pointed out that the delivery of boxes was comparatively slow in view of the delay in completing the Customs formalities as well as due to idling of several boxes in the wharf, including iron scraps.

Containers laden with imported iron scrap were detained by the Customs following the instructions from the Union Government to make a thorough inspection in each container. It is pointed out that nearly 800 containers of scrap lying in the wharf were causing hindrance to stack other containers.

Hinting at the possibility of another congestion in the coming week due to the raw cashew season in East Africa, the steamer agents also urged the port authorities to take steps to maintain better back-up availability and maintain good productivity.

The Traffic Manager of the Port, Mr H.C. Venkatesh, when contacted said that one of the reasons to ease the congestion in the terminal was the systematic implementation of the decisions taken by the management in consultation with the steamer agents. The port had taken serious efforts to repair the damaged equipment on a war-footing to avoid the delay in loading and unloading operations.

Moreover, the permission given by the Customs authorities allowing the steel manufacturers in Kerala to take out the imported iron scrap containers from the wharf had also helped to tide over the crisis. The port is now in the process of clearing the backlog and it is expected that the functioning of the terminal will be normal within two days, he added.