Kochi: In a strong rebuttal to the charge raised by shipping lines that the port handling charges are high in Kochi, the Cochin Port Trust (CPT) on Tuesday said CPT offers rebate up to 85 per cent on vessel-related charges to match the rates with that of Colombo Port.
This rebate is available to all mainline vessels calling at ICTT, the CPT said. “As per the circular dated 26-06-2015, the discount of 85 per cent is available to mainline vessels having less than 13 metres draft handling a minimum of 300 TEUs containers at the Terminal, mainline vessels having 13 to 13.5 metres draft handling a minimum of 800 TEUs containers at the terminal, and mainline vessels having 13.5 to 14.5 metres draft, handling a minimum of 1800 TEUs containers at the terminal,” the port said in a statement.
The vessels falling short of the norms on terminal throughput will be eligible for a 25 per cent rebate in VRC, the Port Trust said.
Port sources said as aid in the circular, the concession is available to all vessels that bring in business to the terminal.
Talking to reporters here on Monday, Emirates Shipping Lines vice-president Noel Rattan had said the CPT charges $80,000 per vessel as handling charges where as it was only $15,000 in Colombo.
Meanwhile, the Cochin port has joined the club of deep draft ports in the world servicing 14.5 metres draft vessels, with the call of mainline container vessel M V Petrohue on Monday at the ICTT.
M V Petrohue is part of the shipping service GALEX connecting Pusan, South Korea, Shanghai, Ningbo, Chiwan, Singapore, Port Klang, Colombo, Cochin, Nhava Sheva, Mundra and Jebel Ali.
(In our report appeared on Tuesday, the reference to the port charges was wrongly attributed to DP World managing director subcontinent Capt Anil Singh. The error is regretted)
