Speed up port transformation, says ITRISA's Rose Blatch

DECLINING PORT efficiency has made it increasingly difficult for exporters to compete in terms of landed costs in foreign ports. So says Rose Blatch, director of the International Trade Institute of Southern Africa ITRISA).
Speaking at a port conference in Durban recently, she said that container moves per hour had decreased from 24 in 1980 to the current figure of somewhere between 15 and 16. This has meant that ships are spending longer periods in port with serious cost implications. The lengthy loading and unloading times result in other vessels having to wait outside the harbour for sometimes as long as 97 hours.
Blatch, who was executive director of Safto's South African Institute of Export from 1989 to 1996, said that because of fierce competition and the practice of certain lines undercutting others, these additional costs could not be passed on to cargo owners.
Meanwhile, shippers have refused to pay congestion surcharges on the grounds that they held Portnet responsible, whereas Portnet also refused to pay.
We look forward to the speedy implementation of the government and Transnet's plans to transform our ports to achieve globally competitive maritime standards. She said she hoped this would include the upgrading of managerial and worker skills, along with ongoing investment in the modernisation of port infrastructure and the creation of economic processing zones (EPZ's), distriparks and districentres within the precincts of the ports.
But there's lots of negativity around, she cautioned. There's a lot of talk but there's little action. Everything always seems to be in the planning stage.