Lines and Portnet move closer to accord

THE SHIPPING industry's port congestion surcharge update meeting - due to be held last Friday under the mediation of Safcoc - was postponed. This after the major shipping lines - in the form of the Container Liner Operators Forum (Clof) Ð had reported "good progress" at a meeting held earlier in the week with the harbour and railways authorities. To page 20 From page 1 "We met on the Tuesday (February 24) with the National Ports Authority (NPA), SA Port Operations (Sapo) and Spoornet," said Safmarine's Ivan Heesom-Green, a Clof executive committee member, "for further discussions on the congestion problem. "There was progress towards agreeing future compensation from Portnet, and on those matters related to berthing delays and productivity." The lines are hoping for a satisfactory conclusion by today (March 1) - or at least, well before the moratorium on the surcharge expires on March 15, Heesom-Green added.