TPT defends terminal charges

Transnet Port Terminals
(TPT) is “quite happy
to defend its terminal
charges” and maintains
they are “way below the
global average,” according
to CE Karl Socikwa.
“I am somewhat
surprised and somewhat
disappointed to hear that
some in the industry still
question our terminal
charges, yet demand an
extremely high level of
service delivery and
well-maintained, if
not new equipment,”
he told FTW. He
said that TPT had
benchmarked its
charges against
global terminals
and had noted that
local pricing levels were
“extremely reasonable”
compared to those
charged by international
counterparts.
“Plus, every time we
raise our rates, we do
so in wide consultation
with our customers –
working on the 80% to
20% system where we
ensure consultation with
customers who bring in
about 80% of our annual
business,” said
Socikwa. “Our
charges are
informed
by an
economic cost recovery
model which ensures we
sustain the level of service
our customers demand.”
This included the need
to deepen the berths, the
recent acquisition of 40
new rubber
tyre gantry
cranes to
improve
intermodal
efficiency,
as well as
an annual
upgrade of
the ports’
Navis
system, he
said.
Socikwa
suggested
that perhaps industry
was looking at all port
charges which included
those imposed by
Transnet National
Ports Authority and
the South African
Maritime Safety
Association
(Samsa).
“I cannot
comment on
those as I’m not in the
loop with regard to how
they are calculated and I
understand that certain
charges can be a bitter pill
to swallow when it comes
to an ‘in case this happens’
scenario.
But I’m
sure that
when some
disaster
happens
they are
quite
pleased to be
up-to-date
with their
fees,” he
commented.
In
answer to a
suggestion by a Durbanbased
transport company
that all surcharges be
waived until “operational
efficiency” is addressed at
the port, Socikwa said he
was wary of introducing a
blanket waiver.
“For example, we don’t
know all the causes of
the delays and we do
offer three days’ free
storage at the port in a
situation where a haulier
experiences a delay in
loading or off-loading – for
whatever reason – and
our truck booking system
factors in those three
days.”
He added that he
would rather look at
waiving penalties and
surcharges on a case-bycase
basis, noting that a
reward system for those
who met deadlines was
a preferable way
forward.
INSERT & CAPTION
Every time we raise
our rates, we do so
in wide consultation
with our customers.
– Karl Socikwa