Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Tuesday, Dec 03, 2002
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Tuesday, Dec 03, 2002 |
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Logistics
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Shipping Bid to generate more traffic — Kolkata port slashes box rates Our Bureau
KOLKATA, Dec. 2 IN its desperate bid to generate traffic for the Kolkata Dock System (KDS) from various inland container depots in the country, the Kolkata Port Trust (KPT) has substantially reduced the box rates for ICD traffic. Thus, for containers moved by wagons to the KDS' container park yard (CPY), covering berths seven and eight, where port authorities supply the equipment and where there are wagon handling facilities, the rate has been reduced from Rs 5,198 to Rs 2,079 per TEU. A sizable reduction in rates has also been announced in respect of containers moved by road. Earlier, there were various rates. For export containers, the rates ranged from a low of Rs 4,158 to a high of Rs 6,930 per TEU and for import containers, from Rs 4,620 to Rs 6,930 per TEU depending on the types of cargo being moved. Following rationalisation, there is now one flat rate — Rs 2,079 per TEU. In other words, the rate is now uniform for containers, whether moved by rail or road. The revised rates are applicable to all containers to and from any ICD in the country, except the one located at Cossipore within Kolkata city. After taking into account the terminal handling charges, as announced by the Association of Shipping Interests, the body of shipowners and shipping agents, the revised rates will be Rs 3,200 per TEU. ``With this rationalisation, the KDS is now perhaps the cheapest container handling port in the country, even cheaper than the Haldia dock, KPT's other dock complex'', observed a spokesman for the KDS. It might be recalled that the KPT had earlier announced remissions in port charges and enhancement of demurrage-free time for certain types of containerised cargo. Thus, for import containers containing waste paper, newsprint, vegetable oil, PTA and gift consignments for organisations listed as relief agencies by the port authorities and on which the customs duty is not levied, the rate was reduced from Rs 6,353 to Rs 4,620 per TEU. For export containers carrying PET resin, the rate was revised from Rs 6,930 to Rs 4,158 per TEU and carrying iron and steel products from Rs 5,198 to Rs 3,638 for cargo inducement up to 400 TEUs per shipper per calendar month and further to Rs 3,465 per TEU for cargo inducement of more than 400 TEUs per shipper per calendar month. Reductions in wharfage have been announced also for certain break-bulk and bulk items. Thus, the wharfage on wheat and rice has been brought down to Rs 90 from Rs 150 per tonne. The same for rock phosphate has been reduced to Rs 127 (Rs 139) per tonne. Earlier, the wharfage on finished fertiliser was Rs 150 tonne. It has been slashed to Rs 127 per tonne. Demurrage-free time for storage of imports, both containers and break-bulk and bulk items, has been enhanced for organisations listed as relief organisations whose imports do not attract any customs levy. For imports in containers, the free time has been extended from three to seven days while for break-bulk and bulk items, from three to 30 days after landing.
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