Port Wings Maritime Exim Weekly Newspaper 16 Sept 2020 Issue

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Sep. 16th - 22nd Issue

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Published from Chennai and Circulated among the trade across the country RNI TNENG/2014/59741 Wednesday, September 16, 2020 8 Pages

Shipping Minister Mandaviya Launches Mechanism for Settlement of Disputes Through Arbitrations in Maritime Sector New Delhi Port Wings News Network nion Minister of State for Shipping (I/C) Shri Mansukh Mandaviya on 10 September 2020 launched ‘SAROD-Ports’ (Society for Affordable Redressal of Disputes Ports) through virtual ceremony in New Delhi.

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Speaking at the launching, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya termed

SAROD-Ports as a game changer and added that it will become the pivotal mechanism of ummeed (hope), vishwas(trust) and nyaya (justice) in the Port sector of India.

Shri Mandaviya also added that enforcement of concession agreements in the letter and spirit is on the utmost priority. SARODPorts will resolve the disputes in fair and just manner while saving huge amount of legal expenditure and time.

Dr Sanjiv R a n j a n , Secretary, Ministry of Shipping said that all major Ports are shifting towards ‘Landlord Model’ in the days to come. Many concessioners

will be working with the Major Ports. SAROD-Ports will inspire confidence in the private players and will ensure right kind of environment for our partners. It will promote ease of doing business in the maritime sector because of the fast, timely, cost effective and robust dispute resolution mechanism.

SAROD-Ports is established under Societies Registration Act, 1860 with the following objectives: Affordable and timely resolution of disputes in fair manner; Enrichment of Dispute Resolution Mechanism with the panel of technical experts as arbitrators.

SAROD-Ports consists members from Indian Ports Association (IPA) and Indian Private Ports and Terminals Association (IPTTA).

SAROD-Ports will advise and assist in settlement of disputes Contd. on page -2

• STRATEGICALLY LOCATED MARITIME GATEWAY ON THE EAST COAST OF INDIA. • SINGLE WINDOW SYSTEM. • MODERN CARGO HANDLING AND BULK MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENTS. • EFFICIENT & COST EFFECTIVE SERVICES. • PRESENTLY PPT HANDLES CAPE SIZE VESSELS INSIDE HARBOUR AND 3,50,000 DWT VESSEL AT SINGLE POINT MOORINGS (SPM).

• PPT HANDLING FERTILIZER. • WELL CONNECTED BY RAIL AND ROAD TO ITS MINERAL RICH HINTERLAND HAVING STEEL, POWER, FERTILIZER AND CEMENT PLANTS. • AVAILABILITY OF DRY DOCK FACILITIES. • COMPUTERISED SERVICES HAVING EDI AND PORT CONNECTIVITY SYSTEM. • EQUIPPED WITH VESSEL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (VTMS).

• 112.69 MILLION Metric TONNES OF CARGO HANDLED DURING THE YEAR 2019-20.

• THE CARGO HANDLING CAPACITY OF THE PORT WILL REACH 325 MILLION METRIC TONNES BY 2020.

• PARADIP PORT RETAINS ITS 2nd POSITION IN CARGO THROUGHPUT AMONG ALL MAJOR PORTS. • PPT introduced possibly for the first time in india, the mediterranean mooring method to discharge edible oil from ship without using a berth.

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India-Maldives Cargo Ferry Service Set To Sail From Thoothukudi On September 20 Chennai

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Port Wings News Network he first dedicated cargo ferry service between India and Maldives is all set to start operations from Thoothukudi on 20 September 2020, reports BusinessLine.

Amit Narang, Joint Secretary, External Affairs, announced the new ferry service at a virtual conference organised by FICCI. The cargo vessel will leave Thoothukudi on September 20 and will be received at Cochin Port Trust on September 22. It will reach Maldives on September 26 and will have a return voyage from there on October 1.

There will be two or three services every month. The starting of the service is an important milestone in the geo-economic and political relations between the two countries and it would be a big boost

for business communities in the both the countries to expand their business and trade relations, he said.

Improving trade, connectivity Sunjay Sudhir, Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives, pointed out that this is an important step forward in the ‘Neighbourhood First policy’ of the Indian government and the culmination of MoU between India and Maldives signed in 2019 with the objective to improve connectivity through an alternate and lesser expensive means of transport for goods.

Detailing the first scheduled cargo ferry service, HK Joshi, CMD, Shipping Corporation of India, said that the first vessel – a containercum-bulk ship – would commence its maiden trip. The turnaround time of the vessel would be 10-12 days depending on the actual vessel operations at Male.

The vessel can carry all types of commodities such as electrical machinery, furniture, pharma products, etc along with perishable goods, she said.

M Beena, Chairperson, Cochin Port Trust, and TK Ramachandran, Chairman, VOC Port Trust, described the initiative as a major step towards the country’s efforts in connecting closely in business Contd. on page -2

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Sep. 16th - 22nd Issue

Shipping Minister Mandaviya Launches...

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Wing 7 Feather 5

Faith Falls Fast

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he Covid-19 crisis, and the political, economic and social disruptions it has caused, is fundamentally changing the traditional context for decision-making. The inconsistencies, inadequacies and contradictions of multiple systems –from health and financial to energy and education – are more exposed than ever amidst a global context of concern for lives, livelihoods and the planet.

Leaders find themselves at a historic crossroads, managing short-term pressures against medium- and long-term uncertainties.

The official figures released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) showed that the Indian economy had contracted by 23.9 per cent in Q1 of 2020.

These numbers are the first estimates based on data obtained from large firms and are bound to worsen once more accurate and representative data becomes available. However, since India was under a stringent lockdown for practically the entirety of Q1 (April-June) and the economy has gradually opened up after that, the following quarters should marginally ease out the pain.

As per the latest statistics from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), about 21 million salaried jobs have been lost between April and August. The unemployment in the month of August across India was 8.35 per cent as per their survey up from 7.4 per cent in the previous month. Urban unemployment was almost in double digits. So, the economic crisis still seems to be a developing phenomenon.

The agriculture sector has been the saving grace for people who have lost jobs in the last few months. The sector has added 14 million jobs in August alone according to the CMIE data. The agriculture sector was also the only part of the economy that has presented positive growth in the Q1 estimates put out by NSO. At constant prices, the agriculture sector grew at 5.69 per cent owing to the good Rabi season output.

It will, however, be difficult to sustain this growth momentum in the sector this quarter as the sowing period is underway. Hopefully, the revival of activity in other sectors can pick up the slack.

Apart from agriculture, another notable sectoral growth figure has been the contraction of the public administration services in Q1 of 5.05 per cent. This is even lower than the contraction witnessed in financial, real estate and professional services of 4.35 per cent.

But even there, GDP is expected to contract by roughly 5% in 2020, and Swedes are 11 percentage points more likely to think economic conditions in their country are poor than in 2019.In addition to the broadly negative assessments of current economic conditions, a few in the countries surveyed are hopeful things will get better in the next year.

A median of 35% think the economic situation in their country will improve in the next 12 months, while nearly half (46%) expect conditions to worsen and 19% think nothing will change. Majorities or pluralities in eight of the countries surveyed expect their national economies to decline further.

In Italy and Japan, this difference is less stark. In roughly half of the countries surveyed, a similar pattern exists when it comes to assessments of the future economic situation. For example, Belgians who negatively evaluate their country’s handling of COVID-19 are 23 points more likely than compatriots who approve of the government response to say their economy will worsen over the next 12 months.

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Sample

Only in TEXT Canada and Australia are people with lower incomes more likely than those with higher incomes to rate the current economic situation as bad.

In the U.S., Denmark, Spain, Australia and Japan, men are more likely than women to rate the state of the economy positively, and in Germany, Sweden, Japan and South Korea, men are also more optimistic about the economy improving.

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SUBSCRIPTION

Continued from page -1 through arbitrations in the maritime sector, including ports and shipping sector in Major Port Trusts, Nonmajor Ports, including private ports, jetties, terminals and harbours. It will also cover disputes between granting authority and Licensee/ Concessionaire /Contractor and

also disputes between Licensee/ Concessionaire and their contractors arising out of and during the course of execution of various contracts.

‘SAROD-Ports’ is similar to provision available in Highway Sector in the form of SARODRoads constituted by NHAI. It may be noted that the Union

Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved amendments in the Model Concession Agreement (MCA) in January 2018.

The amendments in the MCA, envisaged constitution SARODPORTS as dispute resolution mechanism for PPP Projects in the Major Ports.

India-Maldives Cargo Ferry Service Set To...

Continued from page -1 and with the people of Maldives, especially for Kerala and Tamil Nadu, that are closely located and have trade and business activities with Maldives.

This important step has been initiated to actualise the proposed ferry service following the feasibility study conducted by FICCI with the High Commission of Maldives to assess the potential

of Exim trade between the two countries and the economic viability of commencing the cargo ferry service after the Prime Minister’s announcement last year.

Cargo Handling At Ports Gains Momentum New Delhi Port Wings News Network n an early indication of economic recovery, cargo handling in Indian ports is witnessing a spike, according to a report in BusinessLine. The trend was noticed since mid-December and gained momentum in January.

Cargo handling at ports normally improves in December-January. But this year has been different due to sluggish economic growth during the last two quarters. The manufacturing sector suffered contraction for nearly five months with trailing effect on port operations.

According to Indian Ports Association (IPA), 12 major (government-run) ports reported barely 0.98 per cent growth in cargo during April-December 2019.

Though the growth is still lower than last year, things have certainly changed for the better in January in both bulk and containerised cargo.

Congestion at berths At Paradip, iron ore and pellet exports are maintaining a robust growth in January, leading to congestion and waiting at berths.

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Paradip is primarily into bulk cargo. A robust 90 per cent growth in iron ore, which is one-fifth of the total cargo handled, helped the port compensate the fall in many major categories and post 3.97 per cent growth in cargo during AprilDecember 2019.

The change in mood is more evident in coal, which makes up roughly one-third of the total cargo at Paradip. During the past nine months, thermal and coking coal imports were down by 21 per cent and 4.6 per cent, respectively. According to port sources, traffic was up in January.

At Kolkata, Chairman Vinit Kumar confirms a definite uptrend in bulk and container cargo since mid-December. Kolkata is the second largest container port in the East coast, after Chennai.

“Cargo is growing by 3-4 per cent in in all segments. Container cargo is rising by nearly 4 per cent,” Kumar told BusinessLine. According to IPA, during April-December, the port reported 2.8 per cent growth in the handling of twenty-feet equivalent (TEU) boxes. Total cargo grew by 2 per cent.

Strong recovery What is significant about Kolkata is, apart from domestic demand, the city caters to nearly 80 per cent of Nepal’s $3-billion third-country trade and the entire third-country import demand of Bhutan. Kumar says cargo for both the countries is witnessing a strong recovery.

Though details are not available, sources confirm similar trends in Visakhapatnam (Vizag) port. It reported a 8.64 per cent growth — strongest in the East coast — during April-December, riding on petroleum cargo, iron ore and coking coal. Sources say the growth has picked up in recent weeks.

Dhamra (Odisha) of Adani Group witnessed a distinct rise in cargo this fiscal. However, sources are not ready to link it to the general economic recovery, as the port suffered from “massive shortage” of rakes during the previous year.

“There is a general upswing this year.

This is due to improved wagon supply and induction of rakes by Adani Logistics and Tata Martrade International Logistics Ltd (TMILL) under the GPWIS (general purpose wagon induction) scheme,” a source said.

Lenders Seek Eoi To Sell Tuticorin Coal Terminal Under IBC Mumbai

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Port Wings News Network enders to Tuticorin Coal Terminal Pvt Ltd have sought expression of interest to sell the bankrupt facility run by ALBA Asia Pvt Ltd at central governmentowned VO Chidambaranar Port Trust (VOCPT), making it the first instance of a public-privatepartnership (PPP) concession in a major port trust to be auctioned under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), reports BusinessLine.

The 7 mt-capacity terminal is promoted by ALBA Asia with 74 per cent stake and LDA holding 26 per cent, effectively giving LDA 63 per cent stake in the facility.

ALBA Asia is the Indian joint venture dry bulk port operating company controlled by French shipping group Louis Dreyfus Armateurs SAS (LDA).

Tuticorin Coal Terminal stopped operations in June 2018, a year after opening the facility in June 2017.

The thermal coal and non-coking coal handling terminal was hit by the closure of some thermal power plants in the vicinity, for which the facility was built, reducing the third party (nonTANGEDCO) coal cargo at the port to 3 mt from 13 mt a few years ago.

Experts say that the terminal also turned unviable because of the steep revenue percentage it had agreed to

share with the VOC Port Trust to win the deal. The operator placed the highest revenue share price bid of 52.17 per cent to emerge the successful bidder for the project.

A bankruptcy court in Mumbai has initiated insolvency proceedings against Tuticorin Coal Terminal after Bank of India filed a petition seeking to recover unpaid dues of ₹90.87 crore. The terminal operator owes some ₹355.79 crore to a clutch of seven banks led by Bank of India.

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has named Dhiren Shah to oversee the resolution process.

Potential bidders have time until September 23 to file their expression of interest.

Experts’ take Port experts say that concession agreements for port projects at major port trusts awarded under the PPP route cannot be sold under IBC. “In the telecom spectrum case, the Supreme Court has said the NCLT will decide whether license of spectrum can be sold under IBC or not. The same thing will apply to port concession agreements - whether a concession agreement can be sold under IBC,” said a port industry executive tracking the issue.

The concession agreement signed between VOCPT and Tuticorin Coal Terminal cannot be sold without the

approval of the port trust, he stated.

When a port operating company goes into insolvency, its assets will have to be sold to recover lenders dues, which in this case is the concession agreement.

“VOCPT has ownership over land, water-front and all the structures at the facility. The port trust will have to terminate the license because there is no provision in the concession agreement whereby VOCPT will allow the concession itself to be transferred, which is the case with the proposed sale under IBC. How can anybody transfer a concession without the approval of VOCPT,” he said.

Getting a new entity to run the terminal is also a tough task, he said.

Even under the Substitution Agreement, if the lenders pick a new party to run the terminal due to loan repayment default by the original developer, the new operator will require security clearance and he has to clear all the dues of VOCPT. Further, VOCPT’s right to terminate the concession agreement due to default by Tuticorin Coal Terminal cannot be taken away from it and the new party has to step into the shoes of Tuticorin Coal Terminal, which means he has to pay the same (steep) revenue share to VOCPT. “With all these conditions, I doubt if anybody is going to bid for the terminal,” he added.

Sep. 16th - 22nd Issue

Workers Feel The Heat As Major Ports On Cusp Of Historic Makeover

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Mumbai

Port Wings News Network tate-owned Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) is drafting a special voluntary retirement scheme (SVRS), joining Chennai Port Trust in packing off workers as the Parliament looks set to pass a bill that seeks to convert ‘port trusts’ into ‘port authorities’ in the biggest structural reform of 11 of the 12 ports controlled by the Central government, according to BusinessLine.

The Major Port Authorities Bill is included in the list of bills to be taken up for passage by Parliament in the monsoon session beginning Monday.

Major Port Authorities Bill Under the new law, the 11 ports will don the role of landlords – a model widely followed globally wherein the publicly governed port authority acts as a regulatory body and as landlord while private companies carry out cargo handling activities.

Here, the port authority maintains ownership of the port while the infrastructure is leased to private companies that provide and maintain their own superstructure and install their own equipment to handle cargo.

The landlord port, in return, gets a share of the revenues from the private entity.

Accordingly, the cargo handling facilities run by the ports themselves will have to be privatised through the PPP mode, putting a question mark over the fate of thousands of workers deployed for cargo operations.

Workers unions While the new law will not directly facilitate corporatisation of major ports, workers unions fear that the government would issue an order using Section 53 of the proposed Act to achieve this long-pending objective.

“The Board (of each port authority) shall in discharge of its functions under this Act, be bound by such directions on question of policy as the Central Government may give in writing from time to time,” according to Section 53.

Unless the ports are converted into companies, the government cannot list them on the stock exchanges and potentially disinvest or privatize them. Corporatisation will also help the government receive dividends from

these ports.

The major ports had 28,852 full-time employees on March 31, 2019 of which 26,080 were Class 3 and 4 cargo handling and non-cargo handling workers while 2,772 were officers. The numbers would be a few hundred less now after superannuation of employees.

JNPT operations JNPT, a relatively young port - it started operations in 1989 - compared to others, will be the first to be converted into a port authority when the bill is signed into law.

Anticipating the new legal structure under which it will be operating, JNPT has already started preliminary work on privatising the 1.35 million TEU capacity container terminal run by the port itself and one of the five overall at the port, multiple sources told BusinessLine.

The SVRS plan being drafted by the JNPT management is “more attractive” than the one passed by the board of trustees of Chennai Port Trust on September 11.

In the case of financially struggling Chennai Port Trust, employees opting for the SVRS will get one-month emoluments (Basic plus DA) for each completed year of service or 15 days emoluments (Basic plus DA) for each month of remaining service, whichever is lower, subject to a ceiling of Rs15 lakh.

The planned SVRS of JNPT will offer workers 60 days emoluments (Basic plus DA) for each completed year of service or 30 days emoluments (Basic plus DA) for each month of balance service, whichever is less, without any ceiling.

“Compared to Chennai Port Trust, the SVRS being drafted by JNPT is very attractive. The intention is to push out as many workers out as possible,” a person briefed on the plan said.

Port trust employee numbers Chennai Port Trust currently has 3,846 employees on its rolls including 3,646 Class 3 and 4 workers.

JNPT has 1,430 employees of which 1,240 are Class 3 and 4 workers and the rest are officers.

Other ports are also expected to come out with SVRS. Kamarajar Port Ltd is excluded from the new law because it is run as a company.

Chennai Port Trust To Roll Out Special VRS

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Mumbai

Port Wings News Network tate-owned Chennai Port Trust is weighing a plan to roll out a special voluntary retirement scheme for employees, its seventh since 1992, as it looks to cut transaction costs and stay fit in the face of competition from private, mechanised ports in the hinterland, reports BusinessLine.

The board of trustees of Chennai Port Trust will consider the special voluntary retirement scheme this week, a Shipping Ministry official said.

The port trust currently has 3,846 employees on its rolls and the SVRS is aimed at Class 3 and 4 workers totalling 3,646 who have completed ten years of service or attained 40 years.

Employees opting for the SVRS will get one-month emoluments (Basic plus DA) for each completed year of service or 15 days emoluments (Basic plus DA) for each month of remaining service, whichever is lower, subject to a ceiling of ₹15 lakh.

The employees opting for the SVRS will also get normal benefits such as the balance in the provident fund account, cash equivalent of accumulated earned leave as per Chennai Port Trust regulations, gratuity and pension according to Chennai Port Trust (Pension) Regulations.

For employees who have joined service on

or after January 1, 2004, the accrued benefits and pension will be paid by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).

Since 1992 when the first SVRS was introduced, the port trust has laid off 4,354 employees.

Huge competition The port trust is facing severe competition from Kattupalli and Krishnapatnam ports run by the Adani Group. The hinterland that was exclusive to Chennai for many years is now being shared by five ports, eating into its volumes and hurting growth.

Chennai Port Trust handled 46.759 million tonnes (mt) of cargo in FY20 from 53.012 mt in FY19, a decline of 11.8 per cent.

In March, Chennai Port Trust acquired the Central government’s 67 per cent stake in Kamarajar Port Ltd for ₹2,383 crore, bulk of which was funded through a loan from the State Bank of India (SBI).

The acquisition gives financially-stressed Chennai with huge pension liabilities, dividend from Kamarajar on the entire 100 per cent stake. But, more importantly, it would help Chennai “manage” competition by avoiding duplication of capacity creation.

It is also expected to foster better human resource management between the two ports, thereby increasing the efficiency of both ports.

Kamarajar has a staff strength of less than 100.

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Robust Logistics Sector Will Boost India’s Quest for Being a Manufacturing Giant: JNPT Chief

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Mumbai

Port Wings News Network hri Sanjay Sethi, IAS, Chairman of India’s premier container port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), shared his valuable insights in a refreshing roundtable interaction on the role of JNPT and the port sector in 'Strengthening Logistics- Positioning India in the Global Supply Chain'.

The roundtable interaction was organized by ‘The American Chamber of Commerce in India (AMCHAM - India)’.

During the special address, Shri Sanjay Sethi emphasized on the importance of logistics sector in the economic development of India and how a robust logistics sector can go a long way in boosting India’s quest for being a manufacturing giant

with the initiatives like ‘Make in India’, ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ launched by the Government of India.

Shri Sethi also highlighted the ongoing initiatives and plans at JNPT to enable better logistics for making India a preferred destination for FDI and position itself as the hub for Global Supply Chain.

DCI Secures Rs. 111.22 Cr Contract for Maintenance Dredging at New Mangalore Port for Three Years

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Chennai

Port Wings News Network redging Corporation of India Limited (DCI) has participated in a global tender for “Post monsoon maintenance dredging at New Mangalore Port for the years 2020-21, 2021-22 & 202223” invited by New Mangalore Port (NMPT), Karnataka during May 2020.

DCI has successfully bagged the project under open tender and has been awarded with the work. The project involves Maintenance Dredging for a period of three years w.e.f.

2020-21 at a cost of Rs. 111.22 Cr. Estimated annual dredging quantity is about 6.50 Million Cum and the work shall be carried out from October to January each year.

This is the second successive maintenance

dredging project grabbed by DCI on open tender basis after recently winning the SNCKochi maintenance dredging tender. DCI is also carrying out maintenance dredging

at Major Ports like Kolkata, Paradip, Visakhapatnam, JNPT (Mumbai), MPT (Goa) and Cochin.

Government's Export Benefits Need To "Seamlessly Flow" To Exporters: FIEO seamless flow of liquidity New Delhi to exports sector.

Port Wings News Network President, FIEO also espite the pandemic, Indian exporters said that banks are helping have started receiving a lot of eligible exporters with the enquiries and orders from across the Emergency Credit Line globe helping many sectors to show improved Guarantee Scheme but export performance, which is likely to get due to hold up of GST refund and MEIS, the better in next few months, Mr S K Saraf, exporters are forced to seek additional loans President, FIEO, has said.

In a media statement, Mr Saraf said: from banks and such additional requirement is "However, exporters, particularly from now subject to very high interest rates. Banks need to consider this pragmatically MSME sector, are facing huge and provide a competitive liquidity challenges due to the interest rate to the exports sector stoppage of MEIS benefits of over particularly as the deposit rates Rs 10,000 Crore from 1.4.2020 and have come down substantially IGST refund now. At this point of with the reduction in key interest time when exporters are receiving rate. Govt needs to pay interest new orders from new buyers and on the delay in refunding GST to destinations, support needs to be compensate the exporters. given to help them to execute such FIEO also urged the orders. Unfortunately, many of Government to address the issue the exporters have expressed their inability to honour such orders, in Mr. Sharad Kumar Saraf, of Risky Exporters by providing President, FIEO them duty drawback and IGST view of liquidity challenges, due benefits against a bond, if to stoppage of exports benefits and physical verification of such exporters has refund of GST." The FIEO President urged the Government been established. The SOP issued for risky to look into the issue as any letup in our export exporters may be meticulously followed so efforts, at this juncture, will cost us dearly that after due verification, exporters are taken while successful execution of these orders will out from the category immediately.

Mr Saraf exuded confidence that export bring additional export business from new and performance is improving and with due unexplored territories.

All wings of the Government should sit support from all the stakeholders, we can together, opined Mr Saraf, to resolve the bring exports back on track by the end of the technical and financial issues, helping the year.

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Sep. 16th - 22nd Issue

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Setback To Krishnapatnam Third Phase Expansion Mumbai

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Port Wings News Network Rs12,256-crore investment plan to develop the third and final phase of Krishnapatnam port, which is being acquired by the Adani Group, has suffered a setback after a key agency tasked with recommending environment and coastal regulation zone (CRZ) clearances directed the developer to file a revised application excluding the project components that are proposed to be developed on forest land, reports BusinessLine.

While the application seeking environment and CRZ clearances did not mention the presence of forest land for undertaking project components, the expert appraisal committee (EAC) “noticed that the project involves diversion of 418 hectares of forest land

for development of Phase-III”, according to the minutes of the July 23 EAC meeting.

Environment clearance The port developer urged EAC to recommend environment clearance, assuring that construction on forest land will start only after securing forest clearance.

The EAC, however, rejected this plea citing a July 6, 2011, Supreme Court judgment, which held that “environment clearances in respect of projects involving forest land will only be granted after the Project Proponent (PP) obtains Stage-I Forest Clearance in respect of the forest land involved in the projects”.

“Accordingly, pending the availability of Stage-I Forest Clearance, the Ministry cannot grant EC to the project under reference even though PP undertake to

develop no component of the project on forest land,” the EAC said.

The EAC deferred the proposal and asked the port developer to withdraw the current proposal and file a revised proposal if “they do not wish to undertake development on the forest land involved at this stage”, for appraisal of project for grant of EC and CRZ clearance.

The third phase development of Krishnapatnam involves constructing 20 berths and three Single Buoy Moorings (SBMs) to create capacity for handling an additional 154 million tonnes (mt) of dry and liquid bulk cargo, plus 2.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers.

When the third phase is developed, the port will have an overall capacity to handle 226 mt of non-container cargo and 5.5 million TEUs of containers.

Gujarat Pipavav Port Awaits Extension Of Concession Term Mumbai

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Port Wings News Network he Gujarat government is “examining” an application filed by Mumbai-listed Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd seeking approval to extend the concession period of the country’s first private port beyond 2028, according to a BusinessLine report.

Stating that the proposal submitted by Gujarat Pipavav Port was “under examination”, a Gujarat government official said that an extension of the concession period beyond the 30 years “can be possible on mutually agreed terms and conditions which is yet to be decided”.

APM Terminals Management B V, the container port operating unit of Danish shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk Group A/S, holds a majority 43.01 per cent stake in Gujarat Pipavav Port, one of the

two listed port companies in India.

The extension of the concession is key to Pipavav’s expansion plans.

The board of Gujarat Pipavav Port has approved a ₹700-crore plan that involves upgrading existing facilities for handling bigger ships and increasing the container capacity to 1.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) from 1.35 million TEUs. “With this investment, we aim to strengthen our network and continue to provide best in-class services to all our stakeholders. However, we are awaiting the confirmation of concession extension from the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) to execute the expansion plan. The container yard capacity will be expanded once the cargo growth is visible post commissioning of the dedicated freight corridor (DFC),” said Jakob Friis Sorenson, Managing

Director, Gujarat Pipavav Port.

The GMB is tasked with the oversight of ports owned by the State government.

The expansion includes replacement of three existing cranes with four new cranes with a wider outreach and progressive increase in container yard capacity to 1.6 million TEUs. It also includes purchase of two-yard cranes.

The supply chain and inland logistics is expected to significantly improve the reliability and reduce transit time going forward with the implementation of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. This will improve overall cargo volume for imports and exports, Sorensen said.

About 40 per cent of the total investments in entire 1,535 km of DFC is likely to be in Gujarat, which has around 37 per cent of area covered of completed stretch.

Unions Urge Govt To Withdraw Advisories On Reliefs To Port Users Hit By Pandemic Mumbai

P

Port Wings News Network ort workers unions have urged the government to withdraw the advisories issued to the 12 state-owned major ports directing them to grant exemption/remission in charges due to force majeure triggered by the pandemic stating that it would plunge them into “deeper financial crisis”, reports BusinessLine.

On September 2, the Shipping Ministry directed the dozen major ports to implement its April 21 advisory in “letter and spirit” and ensure that no penal charges are levied from port users during the lockdown period, plus 30 days recovery time.

“From the above directives, it seems that the Shipping Ministry is so serious on implementing its April 21 advisory for giving exemption/ concession to port users and enforcing the “force majeure” clause in “letter and spirit” that it is not interested in the financial position of the major ports which are struggling

to fulfil their “liabilities on pension fund” and implementation of wage settlement etc in its “letter and spirit”,” Narendra Rao, general secretary, Water Transport Workers Federation of India wrote in a letter to Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

“We are having serious apprehensions that some vested interests are working in the Ministry on offering the exemption/remission of charges and force majeure to the port users,” he wrote.

The major ports are providing all basic facilities, amenities and equipment for rendering seamless service even during the pandemic as ports and water transport industry are considered as "public utility service".

The concessions being offered to port users and multi-national private container terminals operating under the public-private-partnership (PPP) model at major ports are “not justified” as this would push the major ports into “deeper financial crisis”, Rao said.

Frequent pressure from the Ministry to the major ports cannot be justified, he said pointing out that ports such as Cochin, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Mormugao, Visakhapatnam and Tuticorin are either running with meagre amount of profit or are loss making. “While this being the case, implementation of any concession to the port users and PPP terminal operators would further dilute the revenue stream on the pretext of COVID-19 and further endanger the financial viability of major ports,” he said.

“Further, repeated directives would be troublesome for the major ports besides nullifying the autonomy provided under the MPT Act 1963 to port trust boards in taking judicious decisions in collective wisdom. By directing the major port trusts using the authority of the Central Government is unfair and unjust resulting in overburdening the ports to give relief to MNC’s,” he added while demanding that the proposed concessions to port users should be dropped.

Highway Ministry Releases Over Rs 10k Cr Under AatmaNirbhar Bharat Scheme New Delhi Port Wings News Network sum of Rs 10,339 crore has been released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways during the COVID-19 period under the simplified payment process as envisaged in the ambitious Aatma-Nirbhar Bharat scheme. Another sum of Rs 2475 crore is being processed and is likely to be released soon.

The Government has taken various steps to ensure ease of doing business but also to boost stakeholder confidence in building quality road infrastructure in the country.

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has simplified the payment process under the Aatma-Nirbhar Bharat scheme, and contractors’ payments are being made every month instead of milestone achievement basis. This has proved extremely beneficial towards timely completion of National Highway projects in the country.

The Ministry has extended a number of relief packages for its contractors and concessionaires owing to COVID-19 scenario.

Retention money (which is a part of the Performance Security till construction period) is being released in proportion to the work already executed in accordance with the contract specification, and retention money for upto six months’ period is not deducted from the bills raised by the contractor.

For HAM/ BOT contracts, performance guarantee is released on pro-rata basis. Out of total 1253 applications under 1155 projects for this relief, Rs 3527 crore has been released, while over Rs 189 crore is under process.

Relaxation is given in Schedule H to provide monthly payment to the contractor for the work done and accepted as per the specification of the contract during the month EPC/ HAM contract.

Out of total 863 applications under 774 projects for this relief, Rs 6526 crore has been released, while over Rs 2241 crore is under process.

Direct payment is made to approved Sub-Contractor through Escrow Account. Out of total 21 applications under 19 projects for this relief, Rs 241 crore has been released, while over Rs 27 crore is under process.

Extension of time is being given to contractor/ concessionaire for meeting their obligation under the contract for upto six months depending on site conditions.

A

Out of total 207 applications under 196 projects for this relief, Rs 34 crore has been released, while Rs 15 crore is under process.

Waiver of penalty for delay in submission of performance security/ bank guarantee in new Contract entered into during March, 2020 to September, 2020. Out of total 17 applications under equal number of projects for this relief, Rs 9 crore

has been released.

Extension of time is allowed to consultants i.e, I.E/A.E for 3 to 6 months depending on site condition. During this force majeure event, they may be considered as if they were on duty. Out of total 31 applications under equal number of projects for this relief, Rs two crore has been released, while Rs 1 crore is under process.

BOT/ TOT concessionaire: Before CoD, the concession period of BOT contracts is being extended by a period equal in length to the duration of 3 to 6 months.

Further, for loss in collection of user fee, the concession period is extended by a period in accordance with the contract till the time daily collection is below 90% of the average daily fee. An application for this relief of Rs 2 crore is under process.

For all National Highway Tolling Contracts, loss in collection of fee (remittances) is compensated in accordance with the Contract. An application for this relief is under consideration.

The Ministry has also undertaken settling of contractors’ issues, including dues, through arbitration.

Conciliation Committees have been formed consisting of Independent Experts (CCIEs) for this purpose.

All contractors are being called for conciliations for expeditious settlement of their claims and get their payments released immediately. 47 cases involving claims of Rs. 14,248 crore have been settled during this year. Discussions are underway on another 59 cases.

Visit

www.portwings.in for Latest News

Sep. 16th - 22nd Issue

Crew Change At Vizhinjam Marred

By Local Ship Agent

C

Mumbai

Port Wings News Network rew change on ships at Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram has been roiled by efforts of a local steamer agent to block rivals from undertaking staff swap, reports BusinessLine.

Dowins Resources Pvt Ltd, a local steamer agent, has formed an association - Minor Ports Traditional Steamer Agents Association - with the aim of creating a monopoly over crew change business at Vizhinjam.

Vizhinjam emerged on the world crew change map in July as embattled ship owners and managers sought newer locations for swap staff on ships after travel restrictions imposed by nations to deal with the spread of coronavirus disrupted this key activity globally since March.

Since opening-up for crew change, Vizhinjam has seen some 350 crew being rotated from 26 ships, of which 25 were carried out by Dowins Resources and One by Capital Holdings.

Dowins Resources and Capital Holdings had secured interim orders from the Kerala High Court to undertake crew change after the Customs Department denied them permission to carry out this work at Vizhinjam.

On Saturday, Dowins Resources tried its best to stall Mumbai-based Atlantic Global Shipping Pvt Ltd from carrying out crew change on ‘STI Precision’, an oil tanker owned by the New York Stock Exchange listed Scorpio Tankers Inc, one of the world’s biggest tanker shipping companies.

Atlantic Global Shipping had also secured an interim order from the Kerala High Court to carry out crew change that included sign off of two Croatian nationals. It faced “delays” and “harassment” which it blamed on Dowins Resources.

E-mail threat The association even sent a threatening e-mail asking Atlantic Global Shipping to

drop its plan to carry out crew change on ‘STI Precision’ and instead appoint one of its members as local agent.

“Our organisation has taken a decision not to entertain any newcomers/ strangers from any other port to work as a steamer agent in Vizhinjam minor port,” the Minor Ports’ Traditional Steamer Agents’ Association wrote in a September 11 e-mail to Atlantic Global Shipping.

“The same was informed to the Kerala State Maritime Board, Customs and all concerned authorities. The Port Department had already informed this to your Cochin office. Ignoring this, if you are again trying to do the clearance directly through your Cochin (office), we will be forced to obstruct the clearance of the crew and the vessel will be held up for hours,” the association, which comprises only Dowins Resources, wrote in the e-mail.

“We are not threatening you, but we are just conveying our member’s grievance, (and) also to avoid any loss and damage for the owners,” the e-mail said, adding that the association had made crew change operations at Vizhinjam a success after taking much risk, hardship and money.

The Customs, Immigration and port authorities had raised objections to granting permission for crew change at Vizhinjam anchorage and the association said its members had obtained interim orders from the Kerala High Court to carry out this task.

A separate order was also obtained from the court to undertake crew change of foreign nationals at Vizhinjam, the e-mail said.

Despite the threat, Atlantic Global Shipping said it went ahead and did the crew change, though the ship was held up for a few hours before it could set sail.

“How can an association say that only its members can work in Vizhinjam for crew change and nobody else. What is the authenticity and locus standi of this association,” said an official with Atlantic Global Shipping.

FICCI President Calls For Major Stimulus To Boost Demand

A

Chennai

Port Wings News Network n Indian business leader has called for major stimulus to boost demand as the country’s economy had witnessed a sharp contraction in the April-June quarter of this year, according to Xinhua.

“The contraction seen in India’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter (April-June 2020) of the current fiscal is a matter of great concern, and it clearly underlines the need for a major stimulus to energize and strengthen demand in the economy,” said Sangita Reddy, the president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in a statement on 9 September 2020.

On Aug. 31, the data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation showed that the GDP contracted by 23.9 percent in the April-June quarter compared to 3.1 percent growth in the previous (JanuaryMarch) quarter.

On Tuesday, global credit rating agency Fitch had also revised India’s GDP forecast for the financial year 2020-2021 to -10.5 percent from its earlier estimate of -5 percent.

Reddy said that as the Indian economy is progressively opening up in phases, businesses are seeing an improvement in some of their operational parameters.

“However, the setback that has been caused to members of corporate India on account of COVID-19 will require a much longer period before one sees an improvement in performance on a sustained basis,” she added.

The FICCI president further said that till that time the central government and regulatory institutions must continue lending strength to businesses through all possible additional measures as well as improvising the already announced set of measures based on feedback from all stakeholders.

According to the FICCI president, these are the findings of the latest round of a survey conducted among industry members in August.

The survey was conducted by FICCI to capture the feedback of industry members on how things are playing out on the ground given the successive announcements made by the central government for opening up of the economy as well as for stimulating growth.

The survey found that in June only 25 percent of the companies had reported that unlocking of the economy had a positive impact on their order books, while in August, 44 percent of the companies reported that their order books have improved after opening up of the economy.

Citing the survey findings, Reddy said reviving the economy required a sustained effort, especially when in the first quarter India’s GDP had suffered a major blow.

“In the absence of a major fiscal push on the demand side, we could end up being stuck in a quagmire of low demand and lowincome cycle. If we have to return to the positive growth trajectory, the time for bold and decisive action is now,” said the FICCI president.

5

PSA Mumbai's Online Payment Solutions For DPD Customers

W

Mumbai

Port Wings News Network ith a view to supporting the Union government's initiatives of Digital India and Ease of Doing Business, PSA Mumbai has launched a digital online payments solution for Direct Port Delivery (DPD) customers with ODeX, according to PSA Mumbai.

From September 15, 2020, the DPD customers of PSA Mumbai will be able to process their documentation and pay terminal handling charges on the ODeX platform. A first of its kind for the Jawaharlal Nehru Port area, the online payments product is jointly developed by PSA Mumbai and ODeX. Termed “CLICK → PAY ONLINE → TAKE DELIVERY OF DPD CONTAINERS”, the solution allows PSA Mumbai’s growing number of DPD customers to take the documentation, payment and delivery process online via a one stop portal.

The OdeX portal provides real time status updates, documentation uploading / amendment, e-payment and confirmation for delivery.

With no requirement to maintain advance deposits, it also improves cash flow for the DPD customers. One of the users in the pilot testing round, Director of Mungekar & Sons CHB Pvt. Ltd, Mr Prathamesh Mungekar said,

“We are very happy with this new product, a first in the JNPT area and one which streamlines our operations. We are already looking forward to more developments.”

Managing Director of PSA Mumbai, Mr Sivakumar K said, “A rapid and seamless flow of information between terminal and users is as important as the physical flow of containers through the terminal. This product gives our DPD customers a fast, efficient and secure payment and documentation system to take delivery of their goods as soon as possible.

With ODeX’s extensive user base, it is well positioned for widespread adoption.”

Managing Director of ODeX, Madam Liji Nowal said, “It is a great milestone for ODeX to Go-Live with our ePayments solutions for PSA Mumbai’s customers. Customers can now pay through a single click on ODeX – and the payment is confirmed in real time to PSA Mumbai. Thus any payments delay in cargo release is completely eliminated.

During the current pandemic, PSA Mumbai has been very responsive to the needs of customers and I must congratulate the PSA team for ensuring that we have gone live very quickly with this solution, and becoming the very first terminal to offer seamless ePayment solutions on ODeX to customers. We are now “live” for DPD delivery payments – and soon hope to extend this facility to more customers.”

ONE India goes live for e-DO on PCS1x for Nhava Sheva India

O

Mumbai

Port Wings News Network NE (Ocean Network Express Pte Ltd.,) emerged from the legacy of three Japanese liner companies, who historically prided themselves on high level service quality and process excellence, according to Indian Ports Association.

With a global fleet of over 250 vessels, active participation in all major global trade lanes, deployment of the latest IT systems and an extensive terminal ownership portfolio.

ONE positions itself as being “large enough to survive, but still small enough to care”. The core values of ONE include Quality, Reliability, Innovation and Customer Satisfaction.

Not a surprise then that ONE INDIA (Ocean Network Express (India) Pvt. Ltd.) became the first Carrier to launch their electronic DO via PCS1x.

Dr Janardana Rao, MD IPA (Indian Ports Association- which is the body that owns and manages the PCS1x), congratulated ONE India for becoming the first MLO (Main Line Operator) to embrace the feature provided to the trade and urged all other Carriers to step forth and commence eDO release via PCS1x.

This initiative will significantly improve efficiency while also taking Indian Logistics closer to becoming a paperless regime. Dr Rao also congratulated the Portall team for the excellent support given to onboard all stakeholders (To be approved by MD IPA) Indian Ports Association (IPA) launched a value-added Electronic Delivery Order (eDO) facility – on its cloud based new generation Port Community System ‘PCS1x’. Govt. of India has ensured that the facility can be availed free of charge by all stakeholders on PCS1x.

Henceforth all eDOs of ONE India will be released directly via PCS1x via API for vessels calling at Nhava Sheva and their respective CFS’s and ICD’s JNPT currently and will soon expand to other Ports such as Kolkata, Mundra, Pipavav, Hazira, Goa, Mangalore, Kattupalli, Krishnapatnam, thus pan India.

With the roll-out of the service, ONE India customers will be further facilitated and gain considerably; saving time and money in clearing cargo and speed up Delivery Order extension and the Empty offload processes.

Field agents of Importers and Customs Brokers need not wait at line offices and can be utilised more productively.

The eDO on PCS1x is a FREE module to perform all eDO-related activities including e-invoice and e-payments for which IPA and Shipping Ministry after deliberation with Trade associations has come forward with File Photo

a detailed SOP, with highly secured data interchange between requester and provider.

Stakeholders can request invoice, view invoice, make payment and secure eDO on PCS1x itself.

ONE INDIA will inform all its customers to utilise the eDO service directly via PCS1x only.

Trade and industry pan India may obtain registration/ enrolment on PCS 1x namely https://www.indianpcs.gov.in/ at the earliest to access these services if not already registered.

For more information please call toll-free 1800 11 5055 or write to – pcssupport@portall.in.

Mr. Masaki Osawa – MD of ONE INDIA said –"I am very proud of becoming the first carrier to launch eDO via PCS1x and also of having the professional teams with their deepest commitment. We, Ocean Network Express, continue to further strengthen on business processes with customers through increased standardization and digitalization."

Our commitments are 1. Improve Customer Service Quality, 2. Promote eCommerce and 3. Enhance Automation and Digitalization.

We thank teams at IPA & technical partner Portall for their support and look forward to more milestones.

6

Vessel Position at Terminals - (16.09.2020 To23.09.2020)

Sep. 16th - 22nd Issue

7

CITPL - Chennai

CCTL - Chennai ETA

ETD

Service

Vessel Name

Voy

Agent/Line

Calling Ports

ETA

ETD

Service

Vessel Name

Voy

Agent/Line

Calling Ports

15/09

16/09

CCG

MOGRAL

29

SMI1

Cochin, Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Jebel Ali, Bandar Abbas, Dammam

16/09

17/09

FME

TABEA

890E

FTD

Port Klang, Singapore, Manila, Pusan, Shanghai, Hong Kong

18/09

19/09

PIC-2

SSL DELHI

49

SHR1

22/09

23/09

ADHRCL

THANA BHUM

287E

RCF

15/09

16/09

SIF

SPIRIT OF MUMBAI

37

MSC1

21/09

22/09

TCXNEW

VERMONT TRADER

12E

RCF

16/09

17/09

ECH

SSL KUTCH

196

SHR1

Chennai, WestPort Klang, North Port Klang, Singapore, Laem Chabang

19/09

20/09

MD1

BELLATRIX I

1687EE

BTL

Krishnapatnam, West Port Klang , Singapore, Cailan, Busan, Ulsan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian

20/09

21/09

FME

SUEZ CANAL

20006E

TST

Port Klang, Singapore, Manila, Pusan, Shanghai, Hong Kong

Colombo

Kattupalli ETA

ETD

Service

Vessel Name

Voy

Agent/Line

Calling Ports

16/09

17/09

CCG

MOGRAL

29

SIM

Cochin , Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Jebel Ali, Bandar Abbas, Dammam

18/09

19/09

BULK

PACIFIC PIONEER

1

19/09

20/09

ADHOC

ASIATIC MOON

32

GOL

Nhava Shiva, Mundra, Khor Al Fakkan, Port Klang, Singapore, Shanghai

ETA

ETD

Service

Vessel Name

Voy

Agent/Line

Calling Ports

SIM

Cochin, Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Jebel Ali, Bandar Abbas, Dammam

16/09

17/09

IEX

MOL GUARDIAN

2030W

SHR

Colombo, Damietta Piraes Rotterdam, London

16/09

17/09

WCC

SSL GANGA

55

TCI

16/09

17/09

TCICOSTL

TCI ANAND

1501220

SMI

Cochin, Kanda, Mangalore, Cochin

16/07

17/09

CCG-W

VARADA

0028W

SHR

Cochin, Kanda, Mangalore, Cochin

17/09

18/09

WCC

SSL BRAHMAPUTRA

68

SCI

18/09

19/09

SMILE

SCI CHENNAI

SM484

SHR

18/09

19/09

PIC-2 E

SSL KRISHNA

022E

EMC

20/09

21/09

CCG-E

MESSINI

105E

SHR

21/09

22/09

PIC-2 W

SSL BHARAT

085W

HPL

24/09

24/09

IEX

AL MANAMAH

2031W

SMI

Colombo, Damietta Piraes Rotterdam, London

26/09

27/09

IWCS

PAMBA1

99

WHL

Qingdao , Shanghai , Ningbo , Shekou , Port Kelang , Cochin, Nhava Sheva , Tuticorin , Penang

26/09

27/09

CI2

WAN HAI 513

067E

WHL

Colombo ,Chennai

20/09

21/09

CCG

BOMAR RADIANT

7

20/09

21/09

TCX

VERMONT TRADER

012W

20/09

21/09

TCX

GLEN CANYON BRIDGE

112

Chennai WestPort Klang, North Port Klang, Singapore, Laem Chabang RCF

Chennai West Port Klang, North Port Klang, Singapore, Laem Chabang Krishnapatnam, West Port Klang , Singapore, Cailan, Busan, Ulsan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian

21/09

22/09

ACS

HYUNDAI PLATINUM

012W

ONE

21/09

22/09

SHTL

GRACE BRIDGE

039

HMM

Kakinada Container Terminal ETA

ETD

Service

Vessel Name

Voy

Agent/Line

Calling Ports

15/09

16/09

KAK>CMB 2

OEL SINGAPORE

SV036R

SAMSARA

Halida, Colombo

16/09

17/09

KAK>CMB 2

BLPL TRUST

2017W

BOTHAR

Halida, Colombo

20/09

20/09

KAK>CMB 2

OEL SINGAPORE

SV037R

SAMSARA

Halida, Colombo

23/09

24/09

KAK>INMY

TCI SURYA

731-732

BOTHRA

ICTT - Vallarpadam

NSICT - Mumbai ETA

ETD

Service

Vessel Name

Voy

Agent/Line

Calling Ports Mundra, Nhava Sheva, Valencia, New York, Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, Freeport

16/09

17/09

MESAWA

CMA CGM JAMAICA

CCA

16/09

17/09

BMM

HAZEL

PRD

16/09

17/08

IEX

XIAMEN

SBG

Colombo, Damietta Piraes Rotterdam, London

16/09

17/09

INDUS

MSC GIULIA

MSC

Mundra, Nhava Sheva, Valencia, New York, Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, Freeport

17/09

18/09

AIM

NYK PAULA

ONE

18/09

19/09

MIDAS

AS CYPRIA

CCA

20/09

21/09

MECL

MAERSK DETROIT

MSK

Mundra, Nhava Sheva, Valencia, New York, Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, Freeport

21/09

22/09

AS1

CONTI COURAGE

CCA

21/09

22/09

MWE

LISA

MSK

23/09

23/09

MESAWA

CPO NORFOLK

CCA

Mundra, Nhava Sheva, Valencia, New York, Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, Freeport

RIS

Colombo, Damietta Piraes Rotterdam, London

CCA

Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Port Qasim, Singapore

26/09

25/09 27/09

IIX MIDAS

YARAN EM ASTORIA

Colombo ,Chennai

DAKSHINBHARATH GATEWAY TERMINAL / Tuticorin ETA

ETD

Service

Vessel Name

Voy

Agent/Line

Calling Ports

15/09

16/09

ADHOC

MV.ALION

183T

TWF

TUTICORIN, COLOLMBO, MALE

16/09

17/09

TUX

MV.ANTON SCHEPERS 2

20712

XCL

COLOMBO, TUTICORIN, COLOMBO

17/09

18/09

BOX

MV.OEL SHARVAN

20162S

BTL

COLOMBO, TUTICORIN, COLOMBO

TCX

MV.VLADIVOSTOK

1515

FAR SHIPPING

COLOMBO, TUTICORIN, COLOMBO

VCTPL, Vizag Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Port Qasim, Singapore

24/09

Cochin, Kanda, Mangalore, Cochin

ETA

ETD

Service

Vessel Name

Voy

Agent/Line

Calling Ports

16/09

17/09

CHX

KOTA LATIF

035W

MSK

Ennore, Krishnapatnam, Visakhapatnam, Tanjung Pelepas, Xingang, Qingdao

17/09

18/09

CCG

BOMAR RADIANT

007

SIM

Cochin , Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Jebel Ali, Bandar Abbas, Dammam

18/09

19/09

VKS

ASIATIC DAWN

22

SSL

19/09

20/09

IEX

TOKYO BAY

2042E

HLL

Colombo, Damietta Piraes Rotterdam, London

19/09

20/09

FME

TABEA

890E

ISS

Port Klang, Singapore, Manila, Pusan, Shanghai, Hong Kong

20/09

21/09

CCG

NEYYAR

14

SIM

Cochin, Nhava Sheva, Mundra, Jebel Ali, Bandar Abbas, Dammam

21/09

22/09

MDM

BELLATRIX I

1687E

BTL

Colombo

23/09

23/09

CVK

MSC JANIS 3

XA036A

MSC

Bharat Mumbai Container Terminal ETA

ETD

Service

Vessel Name

Voy

Agent/Line

Calling Ports

17/09

18/09

CIX

HYUNDAI GOODWILL

L0733

HMM

SHK, DCB, NGB, KHH, HZA, SHA, KAN, SIN, KHI, PUS, MUN, PKG

18/09

19/09

EPIC2

EDISON

L0752

CMA

JED, ANR, RTM, LGP, MUN, HAM, LEH, TNG

23/09

24/09

FME

SUEZ CANAL

2006E

TSL

18/09

19/09

SWAX

LOUISE

L0748

CMA

DAR, MUN, MBA, JEA, JEC

26/09

27/09

MDK

BOMAR FULGENT

04688E

WHL

20/09

21/09

AACI

COSCO OCENIA

L0746

COS

CMB, HPH, SHA, NGB, LCH, OAK, LGB

21/09

22/09

CIX

HYUNDAI PLATINUM

L0773

HMM

SHK, PUS, SIN, QOE, KHI, NGB, KAN, HZA, DCB, MUN, SHA, PKG

26/07

27/09

EPIC2

HONG KONG EXPRESS

L0777

HLI

HAM, LEH, LGP, ANR, TNG, RTM, MUN, JED

As the data is received by us, sometimes even at the eleventh hour by telephonic messages from the concerned Steamer Agents, there is every likelihood of last minute changes in the data published for which and also for the printing errors occuring the Management of Port Wings is not responsible or liable.

Visit

Port Klang, Singapore, Manila, Pusan, Shanghai, Hong Kong

www.portwings.in for Latest News

Sep. 16th - 22nd Issue

Green Light For Deeper Fairway At Port Of Gothenburg Chennai

G

Port Wings News Network othenburg City Council on 10 September 2020 passed a resolution to grant more than 1,2 billion kronor (€120,000,000) to finance the Skandia Gateway project, which is aimed at deepening the fairway leading into the Port of Gothenburg.

The sum was matched by the Swedish Transport Administration as part of the national infrastructure plan, and as a result the project is fully funded. The three parties now have a firm basis for entering into an implementation agreement.

“This is the most important port project in Sweden this century.

Gothenburg has been the logistics capital of Scandinavia for 400 years and following this decision it is set to consolidate and build on that position for the next 400 years,” said Elvir Dzanic, Gothenburg Port Authority chief executive.

Direct services to and from the Port of Gothenburg across the oceans of the world without the need for transshipment are vitally important if Swedish companies are to reach global markets in a way that is both climate-friendly and cost-effective. However, as ships continue to grow in size and require a deeper draught, development of the fairway is crucial. At present the very largest ships can only call at the Port of Gothenburg half loaded, and the ships that are required to keep pace with global maritime expansion are becoming bigger by the year.

“This is a race where we need to keep up if we are to maintain our position as a major international port here in Sweden. Without

the largest ships the port will be marginalised, forcing many Swedish companies into using inefficient alternatives that are damaging to the environment and with a resulting loss of competitiveness,” said Elvir Dzanic.

Skandia Gateway is a joint project being run by the Gothenburg Port Authority, the Swedish Maritime Administration, and the Swedish Transport Administration.

With funding now in place, the three organisations can move forward and enter into an implementation agreement for this much soughtafter project.

“I’m extremely pleased. The fact that the government and the city have succeeded in finding a basis for joint funding of Skandia Gateway is an important milestone,” said Jörgen Einarsson, Regional Director of the Swedish Transport Administration Western Region.

1.5 billion cheaper than anticipated According to previous estimates, the cost of deepening the fairway to accommodate ships with a draught of 16.5 metres would be around 4 billion kronor. More detailed calculations now reveal the cost to be around 2.5 billion kronor and achieving a draught of 17.5 metres. The difference can be attributed to the application of more modern construction solutions that

emerged during the early stages of the project, coupled with meticulous fairway design optimisation.

“After a number of simulations, we have optimised the layout of the fairway and the dredging requirements. By doing so we have ensured that government funding is being used responsibly,” said Joel Smith, Head of the Swedish Maritime Administration Infrastructure Department.

Deepening the fairway will also be beneficial from a socioeconomic point of view. According to Swedish Transport Administration estimates, each krona invested will produce four kronor in return, with a payback period of just 15 years.

“A further aspect of the project as a whole is the 22,000 people in the Gothenburg region who are directly or indirectly dependent on the Port of Gothenburg for their livelihood.

For that reason in particular I’m extremely pleased and relieved that we have been given the green light to press ahead with our plans, which will result in winners on many fronts,” concluded Elvir Dzanic.

The Port of Gothenburg is the only port in Sweden with the capacity to receive the world's largest container vessels and has the broadest range of shipping routes within and outside Europe. The 25 rail shuttles that depart each day mean that companies throughout Sweden and Norway have a direct, environmentally smart link to the largest port in the Nordic region. The Port of Gothenburg has terminals for oil, cars, ro-ro, containers and passengers.

Maersk Makes AE19 Ocean-Rail Service From Asia To Europe Permanent Chennai

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Port Wings News Network ust over a year after its launch in August 2019, Maersk’s AE19 ocean-rail product from Asia to Europe becomes a permanent weekly service responding to increased customer demand, according to a press release.

St. Petersburg, Russia --- In July 2019, first cargo left the Russian Far East on A.P. Moller - Maersk’s AE19 service, a unique combination of a short-sea and intercontinental rail product, which connects several origins in Asia with ports in Northern Europe.

In September 2020, just over a year later and thanks to increased customer interest, the combined ocean-rail product becomes a permanent weekly service.

The AE19 service complements Maersk’s regular Asia-Europe product offering based on conventional ocean services and offers highly competitive transit

times from Asia to major ports in Europe. The service is based on a short-sea connection between Asian origin ports in Korea, Japan or China and the port of Nakhodka in the Russian Far East (operated by Sealand Asia – A Maersk Company), followed by an intercontinental rail connection across Russia from Nakhodka to St. Petersburg, which takes 11 days. The last leg of the product is another short-sea connection between St. Petersburg and ports in Finland (Helsinki and Rauma), continental Europe, such as Gdansk (Poland), Bremerhaven (Germany), or Scandinavia, operated by Sealand Europe.

“We are delighted that this unique product, designed for our customers in both Asia and Europe, formally becomes a weekly service and gets a permanent place in our product portfolio”, comments Zsolt Katona, Managing Director, Eastern Europe at Maersk. “This has been possible thanks to increased interest from our customers, who appreciate

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its attractive transit times and cost competitiveness.”

Benefits enabled by blockchain Being a standard product with a Maersk bill of lading for both refrigerated and dry containers, AE19 is a particularly attractive solution for customers with timesensitive cargoes, offering them faster transit times compared to ocean-only products and significant cost advantage compared to air freight. In addition, the product allows customers to avoid congestion on border crossings and offers fast track options for transit in Russia based on the blockchain solution.

This is enabled by TradeLens, a platform jointly developed by IBM and Maersk, which provides the AE19 customer base with shipping data directly from the source of each participating entity in near real-time, all while connecting this rail corridor directly to its established ecosystem of international transportation service providers.

AE19 is part of Maersk’s AsiaEurope portfolio alongside ocean.

In March 2020, the service was also launched in the eastbound direction, connecting North European origins with several destination ports in Asia.

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NEWS - BITS Busan Port set to reduce fine dusts by developing green transport equipment

Busan Port Authority stated on Jul. 10 that it is implementing the LNG hybrid shuttle carrier (SC) R&D project, in order to make Busan Port greener, the company said in its release.

SCs are equipment to move containers from a pier to a yard. At Busan New Port Pier 5, there are currently 28 diesel SCs being operated and some raised concern regarding harmful gases (PM10, PM2.5, SOx, NOx, etc.) from these SCs. BPA initiated the R&D project to modify diesel SCs into LNG hybrid SCs, trying to reduce harmful gas released into the atmosphere.

For the project, BPA will purchase 2 diesel SCs and modify them into LNG hybrid SCs, send one to the west container terminal in the new port for a test drive and the other to the Korea Port Training Institute Busan so that it can be used for training port and transport workers.

CEO NAM Ki-chan stated, “BPA will actively participate in the development and application of port loading/unloading equipment so that we can improve the air quality and worker environment, as well as to secure green loading/unloading technologies.”

MoRTH surpasses NH construction target

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has surpassed its target for construction of National Highways in the country till the past weekend. During April to August this year, 3181 kilometre NH length was constructed against the target of 2771 kms for this period. This includes 2104 kms by State PWDs, 879 kms by NHAI, and 198 kms by NHIDCL. Further, 3300 km length of NH works have been awarded in this year till August, which is more than double of the 1367 kms during the same period last year. This includes 2167 kms of NH by PWDs, 793 kms by NHAI, and 341 kms

by NHIDCL. Sanctions were issued for construction of 2983 kilometres of NHs all over the country during this period. This includes 1265 kms by PWDs, 1183 kms by NHAI, and 535 kms by NHIDCL.

Digital and IT-based payment through FASTag

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has notified draft notification GSR 541 (E) dated 1st September, 2020 to seek comments and suggestions from the stakeholders on making FASTag mandatory for old vehicles sold before 1st December, 2017. The amended provision in CMVR, 1989 is proposed to be put in force wef 1st Jan 2021.

Further, it is proposed to make having a valid FASTag mandatory while getting a new 3rd Party Insurance through an amendment in FORM 51 (certificate of Insurance), wherein the details of FASTag ID shall be captured. This is proposed to be put in force w.e.f. 1 April 2021.

As per Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, FASTag had been made mandatory since 2017 for registration of new four wheeled Vehicles, and is to be supplied by the Vehicle Manufacturer or their dealers. It had further been mandated that the renewal of fitness certificate will be done only after the fitment of FASTag for the Transport Vehicles. Further that, for National Permit Vehicles, the fitment of FASTag has been mandated since 1st oct 2019.

Ships of RF Navy's Pacific fleet completed a four-day business call at the port of Muara

Today, a detachment of warships of the Pacific fleet consisting of the large anti-submarine ships "Admiral Tributs" and "Admiral Vinogradov", and the large sea tanker "Boris Butoma" completed a four-day business call at the port of Muara (Brunei), where they replenished their water and fuel reserves, says press center of RF Defence Ministry.

The detachment of Pacific fleet left Vladivostok on August 1 to perform tasks in the Asia-Pacific region. Earlier, the ships made a business call to Sri-Lanka and took part in the joint Russian-Indian naval exercise "Indra-Navy-2020", which took place in the Bay of Bengal.

CUSTOMS EXCHANGE RATES Notification No.84/2020 (N.T.) ALL RATES PER UNIT

FOREIGN CURRENCY Australian Dollar Bahraini Dinar Canadian Dollar Chinese Yuan Danish Kroner EURO Hong Kong Dollar Kuwaiti Dinar New Zealand Dollar Norwegian Kroner Pound Sterling Qatari Riyal Saudi Arabian Riyal Singapore Dollar South African Rand Swedish Kroner Swiss Franc Turkish Lira UAE Dirham US Dollar Japanese Yen (100) Korean Won (100)

with effect from 04th Sep. 2020

RATE (INR) Import Export 54.85 200.60 57.10 10.90 11.85 88.20 9.60 247.65 50.85 8.40 99.35 20.75 20.15 54.70 4.50 8.55 81.90 10.20 20.60 74.10 70.25 6.35

52.50 188.25 55.05 10.55 11.40 85.05 9.25 232.00 48.55 8.10 95.95 19.50 18.90 52.85 4.20 8.25 78.70 9.60 19.30 72.40 67.65 6.00

We are not responsible for any mistake. ALL RATES ARE PROVISIONAL. The rates in these column are only meant for guidance.

RNI No. TNENG/2014/59741 Postal Registration No. TN/CNIGPO/067/2018-2020 Posted at Pathrika Channel, Egmore, RMS, Chennai-8.

Date of Publication - Wednesday, Posted on Tuesday / Wednesday

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ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting Reviews Maritime Co-Operation

Abu Dhabi Ports Announces Expansion of Khalifa Port is on Track of 90 tonnes, the new cranes have boosted capacity at the terminal significantly and have put Khalifa Port Container Terminal on track to meet its target of 5 million TEUs by the end of the current year.

Saif Al Mazrouei, Head of Ports Cluster, Abu Dhabi Ports, said: “The continued expansion of our infrastructure at Khalifa Port demonstrates Abu Dhabi Ports’ commitment to transforming trade and logistics in the region. Thanks to the strategic direction and guidance of the Government of Abu Dhabi, our emirate is ensured to experience increased direct foreign investment and growth of non-oil GDP. We are confident that the ongoing expansion of Khalifa Port will significantly enhance our operational and cargo handling capabilities."

Saif Al Mazrouei stated: “Our ports are not only gateways to the Gulf, but also convenient departure points to markets around the world, connecting east and west. The multimodal connections between Abu Dhabi and global markets through land, sea, air, and future rail channels have elevated the emirate’s status as a leading trade and logistics hub in the Middle East.”

The addition of land plots with adjacent quay wall and deep-water access at Khalifa Port provides a host of new customer opportunities, particularly for industrial producers requiring prime land plots in proximity to Khalifa Port Industrial Zone (KIZAD) and cargo owners that

Chennai

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Port Wings News Network bu Dhabi Ports on 12 September 2020 announced Khalifa Port’s expansion is on pace for completion. The Khalifa Port expansion, announced in December 2019, aims to attract new business and significantly boost capacity in line with evolving customer expectations, and has progressed significantly since its inception despite the challenging economic conditions presented by the global pandemic. Upon completion, the project is expected to substantially increase handling volumes by providing additional deep-water access and enhanced infrastructure.

To date, 200 metres of quay wall and almost 175,000 sqm of land within Khalifa Port Logistics (KPL) have been handed over ahead of the project’s full phase one completion in Q1 2021.

At the same time, considerable progress has also been made on the first phase of Khalifa Port’s South Quay development that is slated for completion by Q4 2020. With 80 percent of construction already complete, a total of 650 metres of quay wall, containing two berths alongside 37,000 sqm terminal yard is now available in advance of receiving its first shipment.

Progress has also been made on Abu Dhabi Terminals’ (ADT) expansion plans with the delivery of five new ship-to-shore cranes. With each unit boasting a lifting capacity

wish to import, export and trans-ship with global markets via Khalifa Port’s multimodal touchpoints.

One example lies with Arabian Chemical Terminals (ACT) which recently signed a 50-year agreement to establish the first commercial bulk liquid and gas storage terminal at Khalifa Port that will be located on a plot with 16-metre direct deepwater quay access within the newly developed KPL. This project is well underway with the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) having been awarded in May 2020.

Khalifa Port’s assets and future growth plans were discussed during an exclusive Khalifa Port trade and investment webinar headlined by H.E. Abdulla Al Saleh Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Economy.

H.E. Abdulla Al Saleh was joined

by Abu Dhabi Ports’ Saif Al Mazrouei, Head of Ports Cluster; Mohamed Al Menhali, Port Director of Khalifa Port; Kim Larsen, VP of Commercial & BD, Ports Unit; and Paul Vrijhof, Strategy and Business Development, Ports Cluster.

In addition to highlighting progress on the expansion project at Khalifa Port, the session also provided an overview on ongoing trade and economic recovery efforts in the UAE, the port’s role as part of these recovery efforts and its ongoing mission to facilitate global trade and logistics, as well as the latest developments with Abu Dhabi Ports’ portfolio of global partnerships.

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New Delhi Port Wings News Network xternal Affairs Minister of India S.Jaishankar co-chaired the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting along with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand Don Pramudwinai. The Meeting was held virtually on Saturday and saw the participation of Foreign Ministers of the ten ASEAN Member States and India.

The meeting reviewed the status of ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership in several areas including maritime cooperation, connectivity, education & capacity building and people-to-people contacts. It reviewed the progress in implementation of the ASEANIndia Plan of Action (2016-2020).

The meeting also reviewed the preparations for the upcoming 17th ASEAN-India Summit and also the progress in the implementation of key decisions of the Leaders of ASEAN Member States (AMS) and India arrived at the 16th ASEANIndia Summit held in Bangkok in November 2019 and the previous Summits.

The new ASEAN-India Plan of Action (2021-2025) was adopted at the Meeting. The Ministers discussed ways to strengthen cooperation to fight COVID-19 pandemic and exchanged views on important regional and international developments.

There was also a virtual meeting

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of the Foreign Ministers of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARM) held on Saturday and the Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan participated in the meeting under the Chairmanship of Vietnam.

The 27th ARF Foreign Ministers Meeting (FMM) exchanged views on international and regional issues.

The Minister of State presented India’s perspectives on the IndoPacific Ocean’s Initiative, the threat of terrorism, maritime issues in the context of UNCLOS framework and cooperation for collective response for COVID-19.

The ARF Ministers adopted three statements, namely, Enhancing Cooperation to Prevent and Respond to Infectious Disease Outbreaks; Treatment of Children Recruited by or Associated with Terrorist Groups; and Cooperation in the Field of Security of and in the Use of ICTs in the Context of International Security.

India engages in various ARF activities and initiatives on Maritime Security; Counter Terrorism; Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs); and Disaster Relief. Under the ARF activities approved for 2020-21 during the meeting, India will co-chair workshops on International Ship and Port facility Security Code (ISPS Code) and on Implementing United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other international instruments.

First Container Train Processed Through Russian Railway's Electronic Platform Arrived in Europe From China

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Chennai

Port Wings News Network he first transit container train from Xi'an, China, has arrived at its final destination - the BILK terminal in Budapest, Hungary. The order for the transportation was handled using the Freight Transport electronic trading platform (ETP FT).

The train loaded with 41 forty-foot containers with consumer goods was dispatched as part of a joint project between Digital Logistics LLC (a subsidiary of Russian Railways and operator of the digital platform), Rail Cargo Logistics - Rus LLC, and PJSC TransContainer. It is aimed at digitally transforming the business process of

organizing container transportation.

The transport services provided to the customer (Rail Cargo Logistics - Rus LLC) and all communications with the partner (PJSC TransContainer) were carried out exclusively online. The customer generated an application, received the offer, paid for the service, and tracked its status in the personal account on the Freight Transportation electronic trading platform.

More than 80 companies are already connected to the Electronic Trading Platform Freight Transportation (ETP FT), including 72 rolling stock operators, 3 terminal and warehouse operators, 5 carriers, and 6 stevedoring companies. Its client base exceeds 5,400 users.

Piracy, Other High Seas Crimes High In Asia Waters: Report

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Port Wings News Network espite the coronavirus pandemic, piracy and other crimes have surged in Asian waters in the first seven months of the year, many committed by a Philippines-based Islamist group linked to Islamic State, according to a report released on 9 September 2020.

Especially, hard-hit have been the Sulu Sea and coastal areas of the southern Philippines, said the report by Babel Street, an open source data analysis company based in Virginia.

The author, McDaniel Wicker, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer and a company vice president, said rising crime in that area carried significant security implications. The Sulu Sea, he said, is a key shipping route and controlling crime there would require shifting regional security forces from other areas where they also are needed.

“There’s also a very serious global Islamic

terror threat tied up in this,” Wicker continued, referring to the Abu Sayyaf Group, which is based in the southern Philippines and has links to Islamic State.

There have been at least 50 incidents of piracy, armed robbery and kidnapping for profit in Asian waters during the first seven months of 2020, the vast majority of them in the Sulu Sea and the Strait of Malacca, the world’s busiest shipping lane, Wicker said.

Those were double the numbers of such incidents recorded for the same period last year and represent the highest level since 2016, according to the report, citing data from a regional anti-piracy coalition.

The Abu Sayyaf Group was responsible for many attacks this year, it said. The rise in the group’s maritime activities has paralleled stepped up attacks in the southern Philippines.

An Aug. 24 suicide bombing killed 14 people, including security force personnel, it said.

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