Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Tuesday, Apr 10, 2007
ePaper
Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Tuesday, Apr 10, 2007 ePaper |
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Logistics
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Shipping Custom house agents discuss Mumbai port woes Our Bureau
`The situation is leading to cartelisation and monopoly, hampering smooth working conditions.'
Mumbai April 9 The Bombay Custom House Agents' Association (BCHAA) held an Extraordinary General Meeting on Monday to take stock of the shipping-related problems, which have been of late causing delays in custom clearance, increase in cargo dwell time and higher transaction costs at Mumbai port. Custom house agents, who form a crucial link between the exporters/importers and other service providers, handle about 80 per cent of the cargo cleared through the custom house. The association noted that with the growth of containerised traffic, there has been a corresponding growth of buyer's consolidators, LCL consolidators, NVOCC, agencies of shipping lines and other undefined ocean carriers. The BCHAA felt that this situation was leading to cartelisation and monopoly, hampering smooth working conditions of agents. Mr. R. Radhakrishnan, BCHAA President, pointed out that there was a lack of transparency of charges and uniformity of procedures followed by some carriers. Some of the members at the meeting pointed out instances of inadequate performance of some carriers with regard to issue of Delivery Order, collection of Stamp Duty on Import Delivery Order, issue of Export Bill of Lading and levy of undue charges on import containers such as washing charges, damage charges and container detention charges. They felt that many of them were forced to pay "exorbitant charges" to collect their cargo delivery orders, as the trade cannot afford to delay their import deliveries. Other members felt that the "cumbersome procedure" of payment of stamp duty was leading to avoidable delays in custom clearance and cargo delivery.
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