Ports regulator ‘fuming’ over Morwe media quotes

The Ports Regulator is fuming at an article in a regional daily newspaper which quoted Tau Morwe, CEO of Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), making statements at which the regulator took umbrage. The article appeared in the September 7 issue of Cape Times quoting Morwe saying that a meeting between the TNPA and the Ports Regulator had agreed on a jointly commissioned comparative study of port costs around the world. In this, Times journalist Londiwe Buthelezi wrote that this study was to: “... establish whether claims that SA ports are among the most expensive in the world are true”. He then quoted Morwe saying that: “... if the study could provide evidence that the TNPA tariffs were too high, action would be taken to align its prices with the global average”. But, when this article was brought to the regulator’s attention almost a week after the print date, some of the statements attributed to Morwe were challenged. Riad Khan, CEO of the Ports Regulator, told FTW that he had questioned some of these statements which indicated “an agreement with the regulator around certain issues”. “It is hoped,” he added, “that Mr Morwe has been misquoted, as the report incorrectly states that the regulator agreed to a range of things.” Khan did agree that there had been a meeting with the TNPA on September 1. But the joint commission of a study had not been finalised. “At the meeting, the Regulator agreed TO CONSIDER a co-operative research programme request made by TNPA,” Khan said, “on condition that industry was also involved in such a programme, and that the regulator’s independence was not constrained in the process.” He also noted that the TNPA requested this “as they indicated that they had certain internal capacity challenges and were to issue an international tender for consultants to assist them.” Still others amongst Morwe’s supposed statements were pointed to as being absolutely incorrect. “Such a research programme was NOT related to port pricing as indicated in the article,” Khan stressed, “and the Regulator did NOT discuss differing research methodologies with TNPA. “The area of research co-operation requested by TNPA was on tariff methodology and tariff strategies, not on comparative port pricing and benchmarking.”