Government recognition achieved as the body representing SA's cargo interests MEMBERSHIP OF South Africa's recently formed Shippers' Council already represents some 40% of the total tonnage of SA cargo owners and by the end of the year this figure will have reached 50% says Sasol's logistics specialist Dr Pieter Nagel, the motivating force behind its creation.
According to Nagel the organisation has achieved formal recognition at government level as the body representing SA's cargo interests and has been closely involved in several key transport issues, among them the green paper on transport.
Nagel believes that the Shippers' Council has now defined its role well in relation to bodies like the SA Association of Freight Forwarders and the Association of Ships Agents and Brokers who are now kept in touch with Shippers Council progress on matters of mutual concern.
The next step in its evolution could be the formation of regional bodies.
At the height of Cape Town's port congestion, several Cape shippers established a Shippers' Council which acted as a lobbying group to address the problems at the time. Little has been heard from them since.
Nagel says there is already some regional representation in Durban drawn from member companies who sit on the port users' committee and similar interest groups.
Currently in preparation is a policy document which will outline the Council's principles, its objectives and its views on issues like national infrastructure.
