Questions raised over port hikes

RAY SMUTS A LEADING shipping source last week described as “curious” the National Ports Authority’s decision to inflict the least pain on its shipping customers by only imposing a 1% tariff hike on cargo dues. All the other new tariffs, covering port and berth dues, VTS and other sundry services, marine services, ship repair facilities and lighthouse services, are pegged at 3.6% from April 1 “Obviously DaimlerChrysler and Sasol won’t make a lot of noise about 1% because they don’t get the 3.6%; that’s what the shipping lines will have to pay,” said the source who declined to be named. Recalling the healthy profits last year by the NPA and South African Port Operations (Sapo) - they emerged as among the star performers in the Transnet stable - he posed the question: "One not only wonders how much both NPA and Sapo are now making but at the same time must ask whether they are still subsidising other entities within Transnet?”