Where to raise your port issues

The Port Liaison Forum, an initiative of the Cape Chamber of Commerce, has called on industry to make use of the local Port Consultative Committee (PCC) to raise port issues. Established in terms of the National Ports Act, these committees allow for the private sector to engage quarterly with Transnet National Ports Authority as well as with provincial and local government officials and labour representatives. Mike Walwyn, chairman of the Port Liaison Forum, said each port’s PCC had a representative to the national committee and provided an ideal platform to raise matters at top level. “There have been some concerns with many people feeling the national PCC (NPCC) in particular was not being taken seriously. At local level they have been functioning well, but there is a renewed commitment to meet more regularly and to report more regularly to the minister of transport from a national level,” he told FTW. “It is important that port users get their issues raised on the local level from where they can be taken to national. It is worth the effort to get involved and to attempt to solve challenges through this channel.” Walwyn said a variety of issues ranging from hazardous cargoes, ship repair, immigration issues, RTG operations and Navis downtime had come up for discussion at local level. INSERT & CAPTION Renewed commitment to meet more regularly and to report more regularly to the minister of transport – Mik Walwyn