Private sector examines second draft of Ports Policy

‘Looking good so far’ Alan Peat A FURTHER revised National Commercial Ports Policy has been received by the SA Shippers Council (SASC) alleviating fears that the previous, and very unsatisfactory, draft of the policy would go into law without further consultation with port users. At the time of the closing of private sector submissions in response to the first draft on October 31 - and the early-November gathering of oral and written submissions by the Parliamentary Transport Committee - some doubt was cast over the port users getting a second bite at the policy before it was cast in legislation. After the draft was released for comment, the private sector stakeholders raised a considerable number of questions about the policy. Of particular concern were the rather vague definitions of the privatisation procedure (termed “concessioning” by government); the indistinct nature of the final control body, and how it will relate to government and the private sector; and the non-existent time-span for the entire reconstruction procedure. After the draft, and its submissions on it, the shipping industry was looking for a second crack at the proposed policy after the Department of Transport (DoT) had done its revision of the draft, according to Dave Rennie, c.e. of Unicorn Lines, and chairman of the Container Liner Operators Forum. And this has become a reality with the revised second draft of the policy now doing its public rounds (and FTW having a copy of this much-altered document). But there’s no full industry comment as yet - with the Christmas season having delayed the receipt of the draft by a number of holidaying association heads. However, the SASC’s executive director, Nolene Lossau, cast a quick eye over the draft just after the New Year, and commented to FTW about her initial impressions. “I haven’t reviewed it in detail,” she said, “but they seem to have taken into account our reactions in this second draft where the new wording seems to reflect a philosophy more akin to our own than the previous edition. “Some things are very positive.” Her precis of her first feelings? “It looks like Portnet and the cargo owners are no longer at loggerheads,” Lossau said.