THC issue impacts small shippers
View(s):At least 5-10 per cent of the transshipment volumes handled at the Colombo port cannot be charged due to the recent changes to the handling charges, an industry expert said.
Sri Lanka Freight Forwarders Association Chairman Dushmantha Karannagoda told the Business Times that the multi country consolidation i.e. transshipped volumes mixed with local cargo handled by the small agents in the shipping industry have been impacted since the terminal handling charges (THC) was now being fully paid.
He pointed out that cargo from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh would be channelled via Colombo and these were mixed with the local cargo and sent to different directions in Europe, the UK and the Far East.
In terms of the special handling charge levied, the Colombo port was giving a better rate in competition with other ports like Port Kelang in Singapore. But now with the THC fully paid, Mr. Karannagoda said this was lost to Colombo.