“We have set up a committee to review the entire
tariff mechanism for the port authority operated berths as well so that we draw
a roadmap for enabling them also to migrate to a market based tariff mechanism
and everyone operate in a completely market based tariff ecosystem,” R
Lakshmanan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said
while addressing the ‘Global Ports and Shipping Summit’ in Mumbai on Thursday.
The Major Port
Authorities Act, passed by Parliament and notified in the gazette on 18
February 2021, gives freedom to the 11 ports it governs, and new cargo handling
terminals set up by private firms at these ports, to levy market determined
rates, by scrapping the Tariff Authority for Major Ports or TAMP, the erstwhile
rate regulator for state-run ports. However, the fate
of the old cargo handlers was uncertain, with no clarity on allowing them to
levy market rates.
The Ministry also
proposes to allow old public-private-partnership (PPP) projects
operating prior to 2019 to migrate to a market pricing regime.