The Kerala Government has already put an end to the complaints of inordinate delay in clearing the load vehicles at Valayar check-post. The exporters and importers of Salem can take advantage of this and use the Kochi Port for handling their exports and imports, said Pon Tamilvanan, advisor, Cochin Port Trust.
Following complaints from trade and industry, the Chairman of the Cochin Port Trust spoke to the Chief Minister of Kerala.
Intervention
Thanks to the intervention of the Chief Minister, this problem was solved in December last year.
The Commissioners of Sales Tax, Excise and Transport Department of Kerala Government issued relevant orders allowing a green channel facility for customs sealed containers and self-sealed containers from outside Kerala to International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT) at Kochi Port. This has already increased the volume of container handling in Cochin port, Mr. Tamilvanan said while addressing the members of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Salem) here on Friday evening.
He said that the Cochin Port Trust has well established coastal connectivity with many sailing between West and East coasts of India. This will help in coastal traffic and also promoted transhipment at ICTT, Cochin Port.
Mr. Tamilvanan said that Kochi Port has a direct China connection since November last year. The exporters of coir pith of Pollachi were so far using Madras and Tuticorin ports for exporting coir pith via Colombo.
Following the direct China connection, the exporters of Pollachi have started approaching Cochin Port Trust and it has planned to increase the volume of export of coir pith in the near future.
He said that Cochin Port Trust at present accounted for four mainline services – to Europe, to Mediterranean, to China and the fourth one from China to Middle East. The exporters of steel, aluminium, magnesite, mangoes etc from Salem can take advantage of these main line services.
A multi-user liquid terminal structured as a transit and trading hub for liquid bulk cargo is being developed in Kochi Port. The terminal is in a Special Economic Zone and offers procedural ease for international fuel / liquid chemical trading.
Jimmy George, Senior Deputy Traffic Manager, Cochin Port Trust, explaining the developments taken place in ICTT, Kochi Port, through power-point presentation said that Kochi has a 9 MTPA coastal refinery, this is adding 6 MTPA capacity by 2016-17. Leveraging this refining facility, the port is promoting bunkering. High quality bunkers at globally competitive rates are available for servicing vessels playing on the international maritime highways off Cochin.
K. Marippan, president of the Chamber, said that the ICD (International Container Depot), which enabled the exporters and importers to complete all the container services and formalities here itself, without going to ports, was functioning at Salem till a few years ago.
The ICD is not functioning at present. He pleaded with the Cochin Port Trust to lend a helping hand for reviving the ICD in Salem.
He also pleaded for the extension of the direct goods train service being operated from ICD, Irugur, Coimbatore to Kochi to Salem.
G. Senthilvel, Deputy Chairman, Cochin Port Trust, S. Mohan, secretary of the Chamber, V. Karthikeyan, vice-president, and others participated in the meeting.