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| Saturday, 31 July 2004 |
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Join approach with asean council: Call to abolish THC by Sudarshana Perera Sri Lanka Shippers' Council is calling for a coherent approach to get Terminal Handling Charge (THC) reverted to freight charges citing that THC charges are non-transparent, unjustified and baseless. The Council is to lobby at ASEAN region's Shippers council scheduled to be held in Singapore in this regard. This was made known at the Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka Shippers Council held in Colombo last week. The Chairman of the Council , Noel Priyatilleke said that various groups define THC differently and the council was convinced that lines are using THC to enhance their revenue. The levels of THC as well as increases have not been on par with port charges and its changes. "We would work with regional Shipper's Councils to achieve our common goal to revert THC to freight rates", Priyatilleke said. He said that the Alliance Government has agreed to appoint a committee to investigate the costs included in the THC and to look in to other grievances too. When THC was introduced with the revamped tariff system NT 90 it was primarily meant to separate ocean cost from landside transport cost and to compensate carriers for moving the containers from terminal gate to ships hold he said. The lines were expected to be transparent in compiling charges. "We appeal the government to back us to remove the THC which frequently exceeds the total terminal charge paid by a line", he said. The Immediate Past Chairman of the council Ravindra Ratnapala said that steps should be taken to promote the brand image of Ceylon Shipping Corporation and Ratnapala added Sri Lanka should come out with a national carrier while giving much training for Sri Lanka seafarers. He also said that their Council fully supports the initiative to introduce the Sri Lanka Automated Cargo Clearing system. Shipping Development Fund should be better utilised for the growth of the shipping industry in Sri Lanka. The focus was also made on reasons for the surge in Freight Charges, E-transactions , countervailing power against shipping conferences, Container Security Initiative (CSI) , International Ships and Ports Security Initiative (ISPS) and Clauses on Bills of Lading. |
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