Trade unhappy with govt plan to reduce air cargo free time

Government’s plan to reduce free time given to cargo imports at airports of the country has met with near total disagreement with trade bodies. Under this policy, the government plans to ensure that the cargo clearance time would be reduced to two days from the present five days from October 1.
According to the ministry of civil aviation sources, the reduction will not only help in reducing congestion but also upgrade the airports to international standards.
The current situation at national level, especially at cargo complexes like Mumbai are not conducive for such a reduction, say trade association sources, almost in unison.
The major reason they site for the trade disagreement is lack of infrastructure, handling equipment and cumbersome procedures. “We feel it is very premature to reduce the free time, especially when the trade has been booming,” is the general refrain.
Ajay Sahai, director general, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), New Delhi, who is also a member of the consultative group on civil aviation, said, “We are all for reduction of dwell time, provided sufficient infrastructure is put in place.
10/09/07 Economic Times

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Categories: Cargo Sep 2007