Taking a view that the economic recovery is not yet complete, the Dutch port of Rotterdam has once again extended its support to customers by providing a ‘recovery rebate’ on sea and inland harbour dues to 2011, reports the British trade newspaper IFW.
According to Rotterdam port management, the 3% rebate was designed to support companies recovering from the recession, and it would, in turn, strengthen the competitive position of the port (that’s what it means to have competition).
The offer is valid for all customers represented by Deltalings, a group that represents the interests of logistics and industrial companies in the port. However, they will only see the tariffs reduce by 2% in 2011, because the port has already agreed to increase its prices by 1% next year.
Harbour dues are paid by shipping lines calling at Rotterdam, and cover the costs of the seaside connection and vessel traffic management, as well as the landside connection and other products and services. In 2009, the port received €274 million (US$370m) in harbour dues.
This year the port authority issued a “crisis rebate” of 7%, but prices went up by 2%, giving operators a net saving of 5%.
South African Chamber Kicks Against Hike In Port Tariff
The proposed port tariff increases of nearly 12 percent were excessive, unjustified and could have a devastating effect on exports, says the Cape Chamber of Commerce.
Addressing Riad Kahn, the Ports Regulator, the Chamber said it had been shocked to learn that the Transnet National Ports Authority had requested tariff increases averaging 11.9 percent for next year, despite the fact that the ports had made a healthy profit last year.
South African port tariffs were already among the highest in the world and the requested increase was well in excess of the inflation rate.
“We fear the new tariffs will be the last straw for many of our exporters who are already suffering in the wake of the world financial crises made worse by the sharp increase in the value of the rand,” said Albert Schuitmaker, Director of the Chamber.
“As business we understand that costs go up every year, but we have to find ways to manage increases and improve efficiencies. We know that in difficult times extraordinary measures are sometimes required and many companies in the private sector have had to reduce margins, freeze wages, work short hours and even reduce staff in a bid to survive.”
He said the aim of the Ports Authority should be to reduce tariffs to bring them into line with those of comparable ports in other parts of the world.
“Simply increasing tariffs year after year is not acceptable, and when the increase sought is double the inflation rate it becomes clear that something is very wrong,” said Schuitmaker.
“The Ports Authority is a public sector monopoly and, as such, it is free of the restraints and discipline imposed by the kind of competition to which any normal South African company is subject. We feel that the only yardstick by which the reasonableness of present application can be judged is a comparison with the port tariffs in a selection of other countries in both the developed and the developing world.”
Schuitmaker quoted the vision set out in the national commercial ports policy which stated that ‘South Africa’s commercial ports system should be globally competitive, safe and secure, operating at internationally accepted levels of operational efficiency consistent with the goals and objectives of the Government’s macroeconomic strategies. The commercial ports system must serve the economy and meet the needs of the port users in a manner which is economically and environmentally sustainable.’
He said the proposed increases were excessive and likely to be counter-productive. “We urge Transnet to rethink its proposed increases in much the same way as any private sector company operating in a competitive environment would have to do. We ask the Ports Regulator to adjust the proposed increase accordingly.”
Tanzania Plans to Turn Oldest Ship to ‘Floating’ Museum
Tanzania plans to turn one of the world’s oldest passenger ships – mv Liemba – into a floating museum.Mv Liemba was built in 1913 in Germany and was among three vessels operated by the Germans on Lake Tanganyika during the First World War.
Currently, Kigoma regional authority is negotiating with Germany over turning the ship into a tourist vessel.
"Germany will send a delegation soon," said Kigoma regional administrative secretary, Sekulu Selungwi.According to the regional commissioner Col. (rtd) Joseph Simbakalia a modern passenger ship would replace the old one. "If all goes as planned, we hope mv Liemba will create a huge tourism investment opportunity for Kigoma," Col. Simbakalia explained.
According to Kigoma district commissioner John Mogella, the ship would boost tourism in the region.Friends of Liemba Foundation interim secretary Daniel Rumenyela is optimistic the vessel would be one of the major tourist attractions in Kigoma region and the country at large.
Germany ambassador Dr Guido Herz, recently led a delegation of Germans to Kigoma municipality, that included Jochen Ceran, a grandson of one of the engineers who assembled the ship, to Kigoma.
According to Titus Mnyanyi, one of the ship’s captains for over a decade, the vessel has the capacity of carrying 200 tonnes of cargo in addition to 600 passengers.
The Graf von Götzen, as it was formerly known, was built in 1913 at the Meyer-Werft Shipyard in Papenburg, a city in the district of Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany, along the river Ems. It is known for its large shipyard, the Meyer-Werft, which specialises in building cruise liners and named after Count Gustav Adolf von Götzen.
Count Gustav Adolf von Götzen was a German explorer and governor of German East Africa who presided over the bloody quashing of the Maji Maji Rebellion.
The mv Liemba has witnessed many sea-changes in Africa’s troubled history from the era of European colonialism, through African independence in the 1960s to today’s emerging global marketplace.
It was scuttled by its captain on 26 July 1916 off the mouth of the Malagarasi River. It was salvaged by a British Royal Navy salvage team and re-commissioned in 1927 as the Liemba.The ferry has been operating almost nonstop since that date.
80 Seafarers Stranded On Five Ships In Chennai
The ITF has found that around 80 crew members have been stranded on five cargo vessels in the Indian port of Chennai and are living in “a pathetic condition,” according to ITF inspector K Sreekumar, who is assistant secretary of the Madras Port Trust Employees’ Union.
All the ships – OSM Arena, Coastal Express 2, Coastal Express 1, Bien Nam and Cai Lan – have been left stranded because of financial problems and litigation. In the worst case, OSM Arena has been stranded since February.
Mr Sreekumar reports that the 15 crew members of the Vietnamese-owned Bien Nam, who have been stranded for three months due to technical problems, had run out of food, water and fuel. They have also not been paid for five months. The agents have refused to provide further food or diesel, as they are owed US$25,000 by the owners.
Following an approach by the ITF, the High Court ordered the arrest of the ship on 2 November with a hearing due on 8 November.
As secretary of the Seafarers’ Port Welfare Association in Chennai, Mr Sreekumar also arranged food and drinking water for the crew, which was delivered by a marine police launch. “The crews were very happy,” he reports. He is now seeking a supply of diesel oil for the vessel.
The crews on the other stranded ships are also getting provisions, but only one generator is working on Coastal Express 1 and 2 and there are reports that the owners of the Cai Lan, stranded since 14 September, have now abandoned the ship and its crew.
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