A fight is brewing over
port stoppages on the
Far East route as border
police deny they are to
blame and more fingers are being
pointed at shipping lines.
While port stoppages on the
route are nothing new – especially
in light of authorities struggling
to control illegal and questionable
imports into South Africa – there
has been a definite increase in
stoppages often resulting in delays
of up to two weeks.
Colin Atkins, managing director
of World Cargo Services, one of the
regular NVOs serving the Far East
routes, says it is not uncommon
to find up to 15 clients’ cargo in a
single Far East groupage container
and all will suffer the delay and
additional costs if just one client’s
cargo is identified for inspection by
border police.
But, says Atkins, these delays and
costs need to be carefully looked at
since it would appear some players
are milking the system for their
own financial benefit at the expense
of importers – and the border police
are taking the blame.
“We all have to acknowledge
that Sars’ systems have improved
dramatically over the years and
stoppages from their side, while
still frequent on cargo from the Far
East, are generally quite efficient,”
he says. “Border police stoppages
on the other hand have caused
tremendous frustration as cargo
can be held for up to two weeks,
with exorbitant storage and other
costs being incurred.”
He said in October the Durban
border police had called a meeting
with role-players in the industry
where they took the f lak from all
sides.
“NVOs and freight forwarders
were very vocal in their complaints,
with the single biggest complaint
raised at the meeting being the
selection of licensed
unpack depots for
stopped cargo.
SAPS clearly said
they would happily
inspect at any Sarslicensed
unpack
depot,” said Atkins.
“It followed that
while we have all
been venting our
frustration towards
SAPS for exorbitant
charges levied as a
result of stoppages,
in fact there may
just be service
providers out there
who are milking
the system for their own financial
benefit.”
Atkins said the meeting with
the border police clearly showed
that the excuse regularly offered to
NVOs and freight forwarders – that
SAPS stoppages were uncontrollable
– was not really valid.
“The lines’ selected unpack depots
happily list the costs as the days tick
by while SAPS carries the blame
for the delay and the subsequent
incurred costs – when SAPS was
happy to inspect at a Sars-licensed
depot. Of course not all the lines
are at fault and
many have happily
supported the
request to move
stopped containers
to NVOs’ licensed
unpack depots of
choice where it
all goes quickly
and smoothly
and charges are
limited.”
Atkins says while
the border police
are by no means
blameless, they
admitted their
own faults and
he walked away
from the meeting understanding
the border police’s position much
better. “They admitted there were
faults and asked for help from
affected parties on how to improve
the situation. That should be
commended,” he said.
INSERT & CAPTION
There has been a
definite increase
in stoppages, often
resulting in delays of
up to two weeks with
exorbitant storage
costs.
– Colin Atkins
