Tuesday February 9th, 2010
- Last update:9 hours 44 min ago
Port blames importers for higher fees
Published: 16 Sep 2009
The inefficiency of the business community in claiming and removing containers from the country’s ports, are to be blamed for the delays and higher costs for consumers. This is the view of Wieger Koornstra, Chief Executive Officer, Port of Port-of-Spain. He estimated that eighty per cent of businesses are inefficient in getting their goods of the port, and they should not be blaming the port for their lack of planning.
During an exclusive interview with the Guardian at the Shipping Association yesterday, Koornstra said the actions of businesses can influence demurrage. The demurrage is cost for delay of return of containers to the shipping line on the ports. “It is possible to avoid demurrage if you coordinate with the shipper, choose the right broker, and promptly submit your paperwork to get the box out of the port early.” He said if you can empty the container quickly after receiving it, within the 12 days deadline, there will be no charge.”
“There will be no demurrage if they do their business right,” Koornstra said.
“What I’m peeved with is that Downtown Merchants Association (Doma), Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA), the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce are making us out to be the bad ones,” said Koornstra. Ricardo Gonzalez, Terminal Manager, at the Port-of-Spain Port, said there are also frequent occasions where approvals from other agencies can cause delays. These delays can also account for the escalating cost of demurrage. “Demurrage periods are usually between 10 to 12 days. There are other agencies that influence the demurrage for instance the processing of Customs documents which can often take a week,” said Gonzalez. He also added that many times business people are the ones responsible for the hold up of their containers.
“Another thing that can hold up the process is that documents for delivery of containers are not even available by the importers at the time of which to get off the ship. “From our review of the situation only five per cent of the documents are readily available at the time of discharge,” Gonzalez said. “You can’t have your container on the port for weeks and then expect to pay nothing,” added Koornstra. He said many times in the past they have expressed their concerns to the different business associations, yet they continue to complain.
Rhett Chee Ping, president Shipping Association, in the interview added that the business associations are aware of these things but, “what is unfortunate is that members of the business associations are perfectly aware of the foregoing. “The real failure of the real problem continues to be the failure on the part of the business persons to take responsibility for operational efficiency,” Chee Ping said.
Madness, the problem is the
Madness, the problem is the Government Services and the Customs and the bribes and kickbacks, and the bottle of scotch and money to get your paperwork, always looking for somebody to blame, but you not going to blame the Business Men, hell no! We want a public apology on the newspaper. Think before you talk this madness next time.
WATCH OUT YOU ARE MARKED
WATCH OUT YOU ARE MARKED -
You mad or what, you can't criticize the media and Business Men in this country the blog police will say you talking race and should not be allowed to post.
I find this hard to believe.
I find this hard to believe. Demurrage costs businessmen money. Why would a businessman be tardy in collecting their goods from the port? Apart from the demurrage fees, if they don't have their goods, they can't be sold, and they can't make money. Something's not making sense. Can the interviewees provide any evidence to back up their statements?
That could be plausible.
That could be plausible. Businessmen are always trying to make a profit due to their failings and pass on the hidden charges to the consumer. I could understand if the Port is inefficient because it is a Government-run institution but what Mr. Koornstra is conveying does have some merit. The Port has cranes which are highly efficient in loading and unloading containers onto ships. Trinidad is one of the few Caribbean islands - if not the only island - which possesses these container cranes. The average time to load or unload is usually one minute. Why must I pay for the businessman's tardiness in the retrieval of his container? Come on DOMA & TTMA, don't try that! You are showing us that Trinidad & Tobago is the land of greed and lawlessness.
Crain have nothing to do
Crain have nothing to do with it, the government and their workers are the ones that hold our paper work so we have to pay them for storage, we can’t take a container off the port until we can provide the paperwork, Have you ever try to get something done at customs house?
Here is how your government work, bring a boat into the country, you must have someone form national security inspect the boat, It takes them up to 4 months to do that, unless you know somebody, so you think all the time the boat sitting there who have to pay the storage space, don’t you think I want my paperwork in 24 hrs, don’t you think I don’t want to get my good out of the container, don’t you think we have to sell our goods to get our money back, I guess you don’t know a lot.
Every year we have the same story, your container stuck on the port.
Ryan4Party
NICE! Mr. Koornstra opens
NICE! Mr. Koornstra opens his mouth today and tomorrow when the business people of this country tell the newspapers THEIR side of the story, he will have to insert his foot.
Trust me people...business people are NOT to blame for the inefficiencies and skull on the port (for the vast majority of delays). Turnaround time was FAR less just a few short years ago (under UNC...though people will start to think I'm a current-day UNC supporter due to how many times I have have pointed out such facts in recent times...but facts are facts). If memory serves, there was a goal of 48 hours that was usually met for processing of documents and releasing of cargo. I was a little green in the game back then so can't say for sure...any more experienced business people care to state whether that was in fact the case? At any rate it is FAR longer now.
Is this man for real? Maybe
Is this man for real?
Maybe he can enlighten us as to why it takes a week for a vessel to discharge and unload containers? Try running your ports more efficiently before you blame some one else. And it's not even christmas time. You could have all the paper work in and still have to wait days which make the importers scramble to get their good so they won't be slapped with demurrage.
Also, what do you mean by choose the right broker?? Aren't they all doing the same job?
One must look at the Port as
One must look at the Port as providing a service for collecting and distributing purchased goods for businesses. As such, the businesses that use this service is the customer of the Port. How would it look if a Grocer blamed his customers for why his shelves are not stocked with the items they have come to purchase? Or a car dealer blaming his customers for his not having cars?
The Port makes money by providing a service for which they charge a fee. As a service provider, they need to step up to the plate and deliver, not blame their clients. Why DON'T the clients have their documents? I cannot imagine that a business would deliberately wait DAYS to collect their merchandise when they have the documents necessary to do so. If they are, then they deserve to be charged storage fees etc, (demurrage) and should pay it without complaint and get their goods.
Lack of staff and inefficiencies at the Port are to blame, not the customer! The Port must deliver!
triniman300
Demurrage - A few importers
Demurrage - A few importers may be lak here in clearing goods but ask any Customs Broker and they will tell you about an almost pre-fixed time (usually not less than a week) before they can even get to clear the goods. Who is really inefficient here?KNOHO
Yuh have to use to the
Yuh have to use to the "RIGHT" Broker...
Yuh have to get approval from "RIGHT" agencies.....
Basically if you don't know who are "RIGHT" people to talk with, your container go be sitting there...
Is the same thing to get your license.
Go to the "RIGHT" office.
Take your test with the "RIGHT" officer.
I could go on about hospitals, police staions, TSTT, WASA and the rest of services we get here.
Koornstra feel we people stupid or what..