00:00The issue between the Port Authority and the Seamen and Waterfront Workers' Trade Union
00:04remains shrouded in uncertainty amid what has been days of industrial action by workers,
00:10severely impacting operations at the port.
00:13Both sides have made demands and outlined conditions to be met in moving forward, but
00:18neither side has committed to meeting the demands of the other, except to say that workers
00:23came out for duty on Wednesday.
00:26Well according to Vice President of the Chaguanas Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Dr Valmiki
00:30Arjun, the problem is compounded for those who ship containers through the port.
00:36The Chaguanas Chamber is deeply concerned about the significant delays at the Port of
00:40Port of Spain due to the closure of the container examination section and the ongoing industrial
00:46action.
00:48The container examination section has been closed for about five weeks now because of
00:51a supposed rat infestation.
00:54And there's no clear indication of when it's going to reopen.
00:58Now a temporary measure has been put in place where customs officers are now conducting
01:02inspections and clearing containers at importers' premises.
01:05But according to Dr Arjun, it has led to longer wait times for container clearing, which in
01:10turn has driven up the cost of rent and demerits charges.
01:14These delays are further compounded because of the industrial action at the port.
01:19The absence of crane operators and other equipment operators has significantly affected
01:25the loading and the unloading of cargoes from shipping vessels.
01:28And this has led to cargoes being stranded on shipping vessels, which have worsened the
01:33already extended timelines for clearing imports.
01:37To mitigate these delays, many importers are paying extra for customs over time in an effort
01:44to access their cargo and lessen the already burdensome disruptions to their business operations.
01:50The Chamber says this has the potential to adversely impact the competitiveness of the
01:55private sector, as business costs will go up.
01:58Dr Arjun states that the more vulnerable SMEs will be at the forefront of that, and some
02:04businesses may even pass on the costs to the consumer.
02:08If there are delays in clearing raw materials, the Chamber says, the manufacturing sector
02:13stands to lose revenue.
02:15In the meantime, Dr Arjun points out that the government is debating the 2025 budget.
02:20It appears as though this issue, this critical issue, is being neglected.
02:25With the Christmas season approaching, the Chamber wants both matters resolved.
02:30The Shegwana's Chamber urgently calls on the authorities to address this critical issue.
02:35In fact, we recommend that at the very least, the government immediately reduce the port
02:42rental and demerit charges to ease the financial burdens on importers.
02:48We also stress the need for prompt resolution of the cess closure and industrial action
02:54to restore the efficient port operations and safeguard the competitiveness of the private
02:59sector.
03:00Alessia Boucher, TV6 News.
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