A meeting of Permanent Trade Facilitation Council known also as Business Advisory Council, comprising stakeholders in the export-import business and Central agencies involved in clearance of exim cargo, has decided to address issues related to alleged delay in clearance of some of the commodities arriving at the Kochi Port.

There was an apprehension that delays in clearance of some of the consignments would force importers to shift their business to other ports from Kochi. However, Munshid Ali, Port Advisory Committee Member of the Calicut Chamber of Commerce, said that most of the issues had been discussed at the common meeting involving all the agencies and stakeholders. He said that there had been some concerns raised about the delay in clearance of dates and apples being imported through the Kochi port.

Sources close to the export-import business in Kochi said there were no problems with the Customs department in the clearance of the cargo, though some of the consignments, industry-specific, had faced delay in clearances. However, these issues were being addressed through a common forum. Sources ruled out the existence of a general problem with the clearance of commodities passing through the Kochi Port.

The export-import business had warned of possible diversion of cargo from Kerala ports to Chennai, Mumbai, and Tuticorin ports and potential loss of revenue for the State as well as loss of job opportunities.

The exim business, in a recent submission before the State ports department, had said that the Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal had seen commodities from across Kerala as well as from destinations such as Ootty and Nanjangud in Karnataka being routed through Kochi.

Representatives from the Kochi seamer agents, DP World, the Reserve Bank of India, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Kerala State Industrial Enterprises, Federation of Indian Exporters’ Association as well as taxes and Customs experts, officials from the Bureau of Immigration, Cochin Port Trust, and container freight stations attended the meeting of the Permanent Trade Facilitation Council.
Source: The Hindu