Chennai:
Port Wings News Network:
When the Government of India strongly vouching for steps
to promote and ensure Ease of Doing Business in the country, a mistake (rather
costly mistake) by a private container terminal operator operating out of
Chennai Port has forced an importer to shell out about Rs 50,000 as additional
charges to take delivery of his imported goods.
According to details available, a firm namely Balaji
Flowers from Nilgiris regularly imports Lillium flower bulbs from Europe through
Chennai Port. During the third week of December, the firm imported one reefer
box of lillium bulbs from Holland.
The cargo, in a 20-ft Reefer Container, reached the DP
World Chennai Container Terminal (also known as Chennai Container Terminal
Limited –CCTL) in a Maersk Line Vessel MV Maersk Bentonville.
CCTL is one of the two container terminals in the Chennai
Port and operated by Gulf’s major player DP World.
DP WORLD’S COSTLY MISTAKE
Since the importer decided to take delivery of the said
container from Chennai Port itself, Balaji Flowers’ representative sent an
email request to the shipping liner (Maersk Line) and asked them to hold the
container for inspection and delivery from CCTL itself.
In response to the request, representative of Maersk Line
intimated the importer that the Container Terminal (CCTL) has been instructed to
hold the reefer box in the terminal for delivery after paying Special Service
Request (SSR) charges.
However, giving scant regard to the liner’s directive, the
DP World Chennai authorities moved the said container to APM Terminals CFS as a
PNR movement without giving any information to the importer.
IMPORTER FORCED TO PAY MORE
With the reefer box moved to a CFS from the Port limit,
the importer was forced to pay about Rs 44,000 as additional cost to release
the cargo.
COLLUSION BETWEEN APM TERMINALS & DP WORLD CHENNAI
According to an importer, who wished anonymity, both the
APM Terminals CFS and DP World Chennai Terminals are the culprits in the
particular case.
“When the liner (Maersk Line) instructed the Container
Terminal (DP World Chennai) to hold the said container at the terminal for
delivery, on what basis they moved the reefer box to APM Terminals CFS is remains
a mystery. The act clearly suggests that both the Terminal and CFS are
hand-in-glove to extract extra charges through any possible means from
importers,” he added.
According to the importer, had the container delivered to
him from the terminal as instructed by the liner, he would have saved Rs
44,000, charged by the APM Terminals CFS.
REVENUE THROUGH UNLAWFUL MEANS
The importer also deplored that the illegal movement of
the box from container terminal to APM Terminals CFS raises suspicion that terminal
is colluding with the CFS to increase its revenue through unlawful means.
Sources in Chennai Port also alleged that the container
terminal (CCTL), in collusion with most of the CFSes in the Chennai Customs
Zone limit, always move huge numbers of containers under the guise of “enbloc
movement” to CFS and force the importers to pay more for deliveries.
APPEAL TO THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE
The importers also appealed to the Prime Minister’s
Office (PMO) to identify and break such unholy nexus between different
middle-level players like terminals and CFSs that are plaguing the business
environment in the interest of healthy EXIM Trade.
NO REACTION FROM EITHER APM TERMINALS OR DP WORLD
CHENNAI
When Port Wings sought reactions from the APM Terminals
and DP World Chennai (CCTL) about the complaint of the importer, no one was
available for comment.
