Vallarpadam terminal to make charges competitive

The Board of Trustees of the Cochin Port Trust have decided to make vessel-related charges at the International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT) at Vallarpadam competitive, in line with the charges at other transhipment ports in the South and South-east Asian region, the Hindu reported.

The soft launch of the terminal is set for July.

The Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP), which regulates all rates at 11 Union government-owned ports, had recently increased the vessel-related charges of the Cochin Port Trust by 40 percent on the average when compared to the pre-revised scale of rates. The tariff hike had affected Kochi port by making it uncompetitive with respect to its neighbouring transhipment ports.

Cochin Port Trust said that DP World has also decided in-principle to make the terminal handling charges for transhipment containers in line with that of other international transhipment ports in the region.

Currently, the terminal handling charges fixed for the proposed ICTT is higher by 30 percent to 60 percent when compared to the prevailing rates at Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal.

(Source: www.cargonewsasia.com )