Port surcharges worrying

Port surcharges worrying

JAKARTA (JP): The management of state-owned PT Pelabuhan Indonesian II, which oversees Jakarta's Tanjung Priok port, yesterday expressed concern over the congestion surcharges imposed at India's Bombay and Bangladesh's Chittagong ports.

A spokesman for Pelabuhan II, Henry, said in a statement that the surcharges, which were imposed by the South Asia Rate Agreement on all export and import cargoes going to or from Bombay and Chittagong, require port users to pay an additional US$100 per twenty-feet-equivalent unit at Bombay and $200 at Chittagong. The surcharges became effective on March 21.

Henry said Pelabuhan II and its container terminal unit will continue to improve their services and facilities, but will also urge port users to improve their discipline to prevent such a surcharge from having to be imposed on Pelabuhan II.

Last year Tanjung Priok was blasted for its poor services and lack of facilities. Foreign shipping lines threatened to impose congestion surcharges but declined to do so after Pelabuhan II made improvements through a series of crash programs. (pwn)