Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Thursday, May 19, 2005 |
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Logistics
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Shipping Kerala port policy aims for top slot in cargo traffic Our Bureau
Thiruvananthapuram , May 18 THE Kerala Government has come out with a policy for the infrastructure development of the ports that aims at making the State one of the top three States in the country in cargo traffic by 2014. The State has three medium and 14 minor ports, apart from the major port of Kochi. As per the policy, seven ports will be developed in the first phase and the remaining ones at a later stage as and when necessary. The seven ports are Vizhinjam, Thangassery, Alappuzha, Munambam, Ponnani, Beypore and Azhikkal. The policy envisages establishment of multi-purpose ports and transhipment terminals and creation of coastal shipping facilities and advanced cargo storage and handling infrastructure. The policy also lays stress on the development of ship-building and ship-repairing yards, setting up of warehouses, container freight stations and inland container depots and ensuring environmental protection of coastal areas. The State will encourage strategic ventures for ports development and related works in partnership with the Centre or major ports or with institutions engaged in similar activities. Besides, the Government will take steps to acquire land for providing road and rail access to the ports in association with private investors and others. The Government has decided to encourage private participation in port development activities, as it does not have the financial resources to take up such works, which have to be completed in a time-bound manner. For private participation, the existing ports will be given either on lease or by providing the necessary incentives. The conditions in this regard will have to be prepared in respect of each port with the approval of the Government. In order to ensure the availability of trained manpower in the field, the Government proposes to start a maritime university as also other maritime training centres in the State. Here also, private participation will be actively encouraged. The selection of the private partners will be through transparent and competitive bidding process. The investor will be evaluated on the basis of the technical and financial capabilities as stipulated in the bid documents. The private promoters will be allowed to invest in various areas of port development on build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis. The BOT agreement will include terms on design, engineering, financial profile, procurement, construction, operation, maintenance and transfer of the property to the Government after the stipulated period, which will be 30 years from the date of signing of the agreement. The private promoters will be allowed to function as "port conservator" at newly developed ports or in existing ports where they have made large-scale investments. However, the Ports Director will wield the powers that are legally vested in him. Apart from BOT, permission for private participation will be granted on agreements based on build-own-operate-transfer, build and transfer, build-transfer-operate, management contract, rehabilitate-operate-transfer, service contract and supply-operate and transfer.
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