“Trading Across Borders’: NINE Steps To Promote “Ease Of Doing Business”

The Ministry of Shipping in the past year has taken up several Initiatives to promote trade and improve India’s ranking in the “trading Across Borders’ indicator of World Bank’s Doing business Report.

Following steps have been taken by the Ministry to facilitate Ease of Doing Business:

1. From manual to electronic interface: Form 11&13 in manual form have been eliminated at all three terminals at JNPT and replaced by web based e-form-13, which is now done electronically. Apart from JNPT, other Major Ports are also using electronic forms.

2. Accommodation for laboratories of regulatory agencies within port premises: The Ministry has issued instructions to all Major Ports to facilitate and provide land area for setting up of laboratories for animal/ plant quarantine, for Textile and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

3. Implementation of Direct Port Delivery Scheme: – The Ministry has directed all Major Ports to extend the Direct Port Delivery facility to all Accredited Client Programme (ACP) clients and to provide additional land area for parking of DPD containers. JNPT has issued a TRADE NOTICE on 09.02.2016 extending DPD facility to all ACP clients. The earlier conditions for providing DPD have been waived. At present, 15 ACP clients are utilizing the DPD facility at JNPCT and DPD and TEUs showing increasing trend. In March, 2016, 1401 TEUs were handled through DPD which is highest in the last one year in a month. 

4. Reduction in Fee and Charges for non peak hours in all Ports: In order to decongest Major Port, the Ministry has taken up the issue of reduction of fee and charges with Tariff Authority for Major Ports to issue direction to all Major Ports/ BOT Operators operating there at, to fix separate lower charges for cargo and vessels related services and also give a special discount for the services rendered to exporter and importers after regular hours. Accordingly, Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP) vide its Order No. TAMP/14/2016-Misc has issued direction to all Major Ports/ BOT Operators to prescribe lower charges for cargo/ vessels related services and also give a special discount for the services rendered after regular hours. 

5. Installation of container scanners at Major Ports: Earlier, the work of installation of container scanners was being dealt by CBEC. As decided, in the meeting chaired by Revenue Secretary at JNPT on 24.10.2015 and followed by the decision taken in CoS meeting held on 23.12.2015, the Ministry has initiated the process for procurement of container scanners. Indian Port Association has been asked to undertake the process of procurement of the scanners based on the specifications received from CBEC. IPA has already initiated the process and the work order for the procurement shall be issued by November, 2016. 

6. Automation of Issuance of Delivery Orders: All the Shipping Lines (31) at JNPT are compliant with E-Delivery capability and implemented issuance of E-Delivery Orders. Other Major Ports were also directed to implement of issuance of E-delivery Orders. MoPT & NMPT have informed that all the financial transactions pertaining to vessel and cargo related activities are through e-payment and system has been introduced for accepting e-delivery order from the Shipping Agents.

7. Implementation of RFID Scheme for gate automation: All the Major Ports are in process of implementing RFID Gate Automation System. The tendering process to procure RFID is in progress and all the ports are expected to complete this process by the end of this year. Four Major Ports namely KoPT, ChPT, CoPT and PPT have completed tender and work order has been issued for supply and installation of the RFID system.

8. Integration of Major Ports filing system with Customs software:

Major Ports are using advance information of import cargo online by way of accessing IGM message through (PCS) integration with Customs software ICEGATE. This process has cut down dwell time significantly.

At JNPT, an advance single interface to integrate IGM, out of charge and entry inwards with Import Advance list (IAL) will be operational by the end of May, 2016.

9. Measures to remove congestion at ports on war footing:

To remove  bottlenecks in rail/ road connectivity (like widening of roads, development of parking areas) for faster evacuation of cargo, all Major Ports have been directed to take necessary corrective measures. JNPT has taken the following measures in this regard:

(i)         Development of Parking Areas: JNPT has undertaken development of Centralized Parking Plaza covering 45 hectares area which can accommodate about 2000 Tractor/ Trailers (TTs). Phase-I of the project has been completed and area is developed as pay & park facility for trucks.            Two dedicated parking plots measuring 6.3 hectares & 5 hectares have been allotted to two other private terminal operators namely APMT & NSICT, respectively. Both the terminal operators have started operation of parking facility. Further, 3 hectares of area near Y junction has been developed to enable parking of undocumented factory stuffed containers of JNPCT.

(ii)        Widening of Roads: The Y junction is widened on BPCL side about 3000 Sq. Mtrs. for smooth traffic movement at junction. This year the concretization of this junction has also been taken up which will start after monsoon. Roads from Y junction to JNP CFS, CFS junction to SH-54 and Karal junction to CFS junction have been widened.

(iii)       Inter-Terminal movement of trailers:-  Inter Terminal transfer of TTs between JNPCT & GTI and between JNPCT & NSICT has already started.