IGI system failure hits exporters

New Delhi Exporters in Delhi are incurring losses over $ 1 million (Rs 5 crore) every day after the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system with the Customs department of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport suffered a major breakdown last week when a cable snapped near the Metro construction site.
Making a beeline at the international cargo terminal to get their cargo cleared by the manual system, exporters and agents deemed it more of a loss of reputation and clientele.
With no cargo movement out of the IGI Airport and cargo aircraft flying empty, the Customs department and the Air Cargo Agents’ Association of India (ACAAI) called an emergency meeting on Friday.
“At Delhi, approximately 2,000 consignments are sent every day, which means we have 2,000 shipping bills every day. More importantly, it is a loss of goodwill. The import side is also facing major delays,” said M G Sachdeva, Advisor, Federation of Freight Forwarders Association of India.
The Customs department has started working with the obsolete manual system of screening documents in the interim.
26/09/09 Geeta Gupta/ExpressIndia

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Categories: Airports Sep 2009