Denmark sees vast scope for cooperation with the shipping sector here, but wants ports in India to ease tariff norms. Addressing an FICCI event on ports and shipping here, Freddy Svanne, Ambassador of Denmark to India, said there was a need for tariff regulations to be relaxed in the port sector. He said he had spent five years talking to the Planning Commission and various arms of the Government but had not found any action.

Airing similar views, NN Kumar, Chairman of JN Port, also called for relaxation of tariff regulation norms, pointing out that tariffs of non-major ports are not regulated but those of major ports are. Kumar also called for a clause that permits revisiting the contract between ports and port developers. The risk of environment clearance has to be borne by Government bodies, such as the Port Trust and not the private investors, he said.

Earlier, Svanne had said there was a scope for cooperation in the areas of ship design, port development and logistics.

Shipping is one of the biggest areas of trade between Denmark and India. Danish shipping serves India with all important market segments and several Danish shipping companies have opened offices in India, such as the Maersk Group India, which includes business units of Damco, Maersk training, Safmarine, Svitzar, and APM Terminals. The group employs 12,740 people in India and recruits 150-200 cadets annually.

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