Leaders from the logistics industry and exporters have urged Mormugao Ports Authority (MPA) to create a modern and functioning container terminal at the port in order to ensure seamless movement of cargo. Industry players have also informed MPA chairman N Vinod Kumar to deploy a shore crane for movement of cargo containers, as the current lack of a shore crane affects import and export operations.
The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Indian Industry (GCCI) and Confederation of Indian Industry met Kumar, who has been recently appointed as the full time chairman of the beleaguered port.
“The delegation advocated for creating a modern functioning container terminal with the right handling equipment both quayside and landside and providing adequate back-up land for a container yard,” said CII Goa council chairperson Anirudh Agrawal.
CII has asked MPA to demolish old sheds to create space to stack shipping containers and to simultaneously explore the utilisation of unused land available at the port for optimising operations.
“The industry is facing a lot of difficulties due to the lack of infrastructure at MPA. The committee has also spoken to various stakeholders to start the movement of cargo from MPA for exports but most of the stakeholders prefer to transport their cargo by road and JNPT due to the lack of facilities available at MPA,” said GCCI’s logistics committee chairman Chandrakanat Gawas.
Kumar appeared to be open to the feedback and assured the industry delegations that the infrastructural gaps will be plugged. However, he did not offer any timeline. Kumar said he will appoint an officer from MPA to join CII’s logistics committee for a discussion on the logistics sector and improvement of the functioning of the port.
CII has asked the port to procure a shore crane to load and unload container cargo and also requested Kumar to keep aside a berth for the shipbuilding industry for construction of new vessels.
GCCI on its part said that the transport cess of Rs 250 being levied on transportation is on the higher side and it should be reduced which will not only attract more exporters and transporters but also increase revenue for the port and the government.
