VASCO
A delegation from the GCCI Logistics Committee of Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) met the Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) in connection with a demand to improve infrastructure at the port.
The delegation comprising Chandrakant Gawas (Chairman), Dhirendra Thakker (Co-Chairman), and Sanket Kaskar (Coordinator) of the GCCI Logistics Committee met with MPA Chairman Dr Venkata Ramana Akkaraju and submitted a representation on the development of infrastructure at MPA.
The MPA chairman informed the GCCI delegation that the port authority has the responsibility to give proper facilities to customers and assured to try his best to improve the infrastructure of the port.
ISSUE OF CRANE
Gawas informed the chairman about the urgent repair of the HMC at the port and also told him that GCCI had previously made representations regarding the crane but the issue has still not been resolved,
The Chairman told Gawas that a tender would be floated by the month-end where a new crane would be mobilised for a period of 10 years on a revenue sharing model, but said this whole process could take up to 6 months to complete.
He also informed that a proposal to fund a crane was put forth under the Sagarmala scheme but the proposal was not approved stating that the port should try sourcing the crane via the PPP model.
ISSUE OF CLEARANCES
Gawas also spoke on the absence of regulatory bodies at the port to issue important clearances in the movement of cargo.
According to the export-import procedures, there should be six government partnered agencies, which include a drug controller, animal quarantine, plant quarantine, truck controller, etc. to be present at the port to issue clearances, but currently, there are none who are authorised to sign the clearances.
Commenting on the issue of clearances, the MPA chairman informed Gawas that due to the decrease in cargo movement it was not feasible for authorities to be present at the port. He said increasing the cargo volume should be the priority so that the current situation at the port can be improved.
PHARMACEUTICAL CARGO
The GCCI delegation pointed out that even though Goa has maximum pharmaceutical industries that source raw material and manufacture the final product for consumption in the State itself, these companies hardly use the port for the movement of their cargo and the cargo is usually diverted to JNPT or Chennai port.
The MPA chairman suggested that interaction with pharmaceutical industries be organised in association with GCCI to find out the issues they are facing in transporting their cargo and how port authorities can assist them to resolve these issues.
GCCI, MPA meet Union Minister
VASCO:
A delegation from the GCCI and MPA met with Union Minister of State for Tourism and Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shripad Naik to appraise him on the development of the Mormugao Port infrastructure.
The delegation comprising GCCI President Ralph de Sousa, GCCI Logistics Committee Chairman Chandrakant Gawas, Co-Chairman Dhirendra Thakker and Coordinator Sanket Kaskar along with MPA Chairman Dr Venkata Ramana Akkaraju and MPA Dy Chairman Guruprasad Rai requested the union minister for his support and cooperation to resolve the long pending issue of the repair of the HMC as well as the others unresolved issues.
