Urgent need to have a Logistic Policy to regulate arbitrary and unfair charges : FISME

NEW DELHI: Industry experts and the exporter-importer community of India have been calling for a watchdog or a regulatory body to regulate proper policy and bring transparency in the country’s logistic sector.

The micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India contribute to 40 percent of exports. They also have a huge share in import basket. More export and import means more usage of logistics including shipping lines.

However, the absence of a Regulatory Body for the Logistics sector has given freehand to the logistic companies to levy high charges for exports and imports. The MSME sector is the main victim of this gap.

In a meeting with the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently to given Budget related suggestions, the apex body for MSME associations Federation of Indian Micro and Small & Medium Enterprises (FISME) said there is an urgent need for a regulator to bring order and transparency.

“We would like to raise the issue of arbitrary and unfair charges levied by Shipping lines on hapless Indian exporters and importers especially MSMEs,” FISME said in its pre-budget memorandum submitted to the Finance Minister.

FISME President Animesh Saxena highlighted that many a times these charges exceed the freight component itself. Many MSME exporters have often come up with grievance Shipping lines never disclose the details of the charges before hand and later the importers are forced to pay whatever charge they levy once the consignment has landed.

All the more, there is no platform where importers can file a complaint against these excesses.

Meanwhile, the Government is in the process of drafting national logistics policy within a month.

The draft policy seeks to create a single point of reference for all logistics and trade facilitation matters in the country which will also function as a knowledge and information sharing platform.

The Indian logistics sector is currently valued at USD160 Bn, the sector is expected to become worth USD 215 Bn in the next two years.

Govt again extends deadline for installation of Radiation monitors, Container scanner at Major Ports

NEW DELHI: The Government has again extended the deadline for sea ports, including JNPT, Deendayal, Mumbai, Tuticorin and Visakhapatnam, to install radiation monitors and container scanner to March 31, 2020.

 

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) also said that the ports which fail to meet the deadline will be derecognised for the purpose of import of unshredded metallic scrap, with effect from April next year.

 

“The period of installation and operationalisation of radiation portal monitors and container scanner in the designated ports is extended up to 

March 31, 2020,” the DGFT said.

 

Earlier, the deadline for installing radiation monitors and container scanner was December 31.

 

Chennai, Cochin, Ennore, JNPT, Deendayal, Mormugao, Mumbai, New Mangalore, Paradip, Tuticorin, Vishakhapatnam, Pipava, Mundra and Kolkata are the 14 ports where these monitors and scanners have to be installed.

DPT Chairman releases DPT’s Calendar 2020

GANDHIDHAM: Mr. S.K. Mehta, IFS, Chairman, DPT launched the DPT's CALENDAR-2020 highlighting the Port Facilities & Infrastructure along with Trustee, HoDs and other Officer of DPT at Board Room, Administrative Office building.

CALANDER – 2020 highlights the Single Buoy Mooring (SBM)-Vadinar, which  entered prestigious billionaire Club by handling 1 Billion MT, Overview of Harbour at Night, overview of Oil Handling facilities, Unique cargo vessel anchored at Port, Country’s 70 % Timber Logs handling, Kota Stone Handing, Large Tanker Vessels, Barge Handling Facility at Bunder Basin, Tuna-Tekra deep draught Terminal. Photos were taken by Hari Mahidhar (Mumbai), Rajesh Lalwani and Jignesh Bhupendra Makwana.

Sanjay Bhatia releases MbPT’s Diary & Calender 2020

MUMBAI: Shri Sanjay Bhatia, IAS, Chairman, MbPT and Shri Yashodhan Wanage, IRS, Dy. Chairman, MbPT released Mumbai Port Trust's Diary and Calendar for 2020 on 27th December 2019 at Board room.

Adani forays into Cold Chain Logistics with INR 296 Cr acquisition of Snowman Logistics

AHMEDABAD: Adani Logistics Limited (“ALL”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Ports and SEZ Limited (“APSEZ”), announced it has signed definitive agreements to acquire 40.25% stake in Snowman Logistics Ltd. from Gateway Distriparks Ltd.

The purchase price of INR 44 / share represents a [8]% premium to the market price of December 27, 2019 and a 12% premium to 60 day VWAP.

As part of the transaction, Adani Logistics will make a mandatory open offer as per the Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeover Guidelines, 2011 for a maximum 26% of the public shareholding in the Company.

Acquisition is subject to customary condition precedents and expected to close by March 31, 2020.

Mr. Karan Adani, Chief Executive Officer and Whole Time Director of APSEZ said, “We are excited to announce the acquisition of Snowman Logistics Ltd. The acquisition is in line with our strategy and vision to be a leader in providing integrated logistics services in India and moving from port gate to customer gate. Cold chain is key product in customer gate strategy given India’s consumer driven demand. We will double the capacity in next 5 years. With focus on increase in utilization, higher realization from product mix and operational efficiencies, this vertical will help further improve returns of logistics business”

Lift & Shift (LSPL) delivers Biggest, Heaviest Boiler & HRSG Modules

MUMBAI: Thermax was awarded one of its largest export orders for a large Refinery Project coming up in Nigeria. Thermax assembled all the Plug & Play Modules in its Modularization Yard at Mundra SEZ & delivered all the modules from Mar’19 to Nov’19. Thermax delivered 8 x HRSGs, 4 x UBs and 2 x FGSG modules.
These modules are amongst the biggest, heaviest Boiler & HRSG modules delivered anywhere in the world. LSPL was involved with Thermax since the bidding stage for study of transport engineering of the modules from their yard in Mundra to the Port of Mundra and then to be rolled on to RORO ships.
The equipment fabrication plan was such that work at site in Nigeria would be kept to the minimum.
1. The engineering involved study of arrangements to limit modification to the minimum.
2. The road width at Adani Mundra Port was lower than the max width of the modules to be transported. This implied that when transport of the modules would take place total traffic to the ports on roads would need to stop (all truck / trailer / car) movements of Import / Export cargo containers / breakbulk.
3. The heaviest equipment weighed 1200 tonnes and would be the heaviest modules to be transported from Mundra Port and requiring to cross the Nevinal canal.
4. The tallest equipment for transport stood at 22 m, that meant removal of 1 high tension tower line on no of occasions as and when crossing was required, the tower line was permanently taken underground, this led reduction of down time of power and hence less trouble to the Public due to power outrage.
5. Finally, the discussion revolved to management of traffic during transport of modules. It was agreed by all parties to plan transport in 2 or 3 stages thereby causing limited port work stoppage and eliminating traffic jams.
6. The client nominated ship suitable to carry the cargo and operate at Adani Mundra Port where the tidal range is 6 m. For Adani Mundra Port this was going its first ever RORO operation since port inception. 7. It was finally concluded that the loadout would be done at 2 different jetty / terminal - The Multipurpose terminal for side on operations and Container terminal for stern on operations.
8. The next requirement was to stow the equipment at 1.5 m height suitable for the receiver trailers at Nigeria, so wooden blocks which was kept between the trailer and modules to achieve the height of 1.5 m which was 1.2 m of LSPL axles and 300 mm of wooden blocks.
9. Since the load out was to happen with stools the modules were first transported to port about 10 days in advance where the cargo was stored on stools, stools were welded for stowing on the barge. This would help the ship to achieve a faster turnaround and more safety for continuous operation.
The transport arrangement being unique for each equipment taking account of the various safety modalities of wind force due to module heights, stability of the modules, route per axle load and the port per sq.mt deck load. During the transport LSPL mobilized a total of 120 self-propelled axles with 5 PPU as the transport required axles in various configuration as seen in the picture.
The FGSG modules were the heaviest ever to be transported in Mundra weighing at 1200 tonnes over the Nevinal canal.
For the first time in India 5 files trailers (2½ axles) were used for transport of cargo in India as the UB modules were heavy in the center and required to spread load for safe transport. The HRSG modules the tallest ever were very slender, the height of the modules was 22 m requiring extension of transport beam such that the width of the module was increased for safe transport.
The client nominated 3 vessels first in April and second in October 2019. For the first vessel a total of 7 modules were to be loaded out, second vessel was to carry 5 modules and
third vessel was to carry 6 modules. The operation was planned such that each day 1 module would be loaded in stern on position and then for the few modules the ship would wait for the CB berth to load the equipment.
A first in all aspects for Adani Port, Thermax and LSPL.

DMICDC Logistics Data Services extends services to Kamarajar Port

TUTICORIN: Extending its foray into India’s Southern corridor, DMICDC Logistics Data Services (DLDS) has launched its container tracking service at Kamarajar Port, bringing under its ambit services to 16 ports.

DLDS’ flagship solution, Logistics Data Bank (LDB), is a single window container tracking solution aimed at improving operations in Indian container logistics. It began its operations in the western corridor, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in year 2016, and later extended it to Hazira and Mundra Ports of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) in year 2017.

LDB operations were extended at India’s south-eastern corridor from November 01, 2018, covering the ports of Chennai, Visakhapatnam, and Krishnapatnam, with its ICT-based services. LDB has also extended its operations to Kolkata – Haldia Ports, Cochin Port, New Mangalore Port,

V.O. Chidambaranar Port, Adani Kattupalli Port, Deendayal Port, Paradip Port and Mormugao Port.

With inclusion of Kamarajar Port, Ennore-Chennai LDB’s ICT-based services have become operational across 25 port terminals of India.

The extension of DLDS’ services to the Kamarajar Port is a significant milestone in simplifying operations in India’s vast container logistics sector.

LDB currently handles 96% per cent of India’s container. The extension of LDB’s services at Kamarajar Port follows a milestone of 21 million export-import containers tracked by its single window interface.