The government on Friday has issued SOP for major ports to tackle disruptions from Iran Conflict. The ports have been asked to hold regular meetings with shipping lines, exporters and customs to monitor situation.
The new SOP will only be applicable for cargo and vessels affected by the ongoing conflict. In addition the government commented that ports are required to submit daily action taken report to the ministry.
Each major port has been asked to appoint a nodal officer as 24x7 single point of contact. Operational issues at the ports will be resolved un der 24 hours under the new SOP, while issues requiring other agencies' intervention should be resolved within 72 hours, the government said in a notification on Friday.
Under the new SOP ports will be allowed to store Middle East-bound cargo as transshipment cargo during crisis. The government further instructed that ports may allot additional storage space for cargo impacted by disruptions.
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Ports to facilitate berthing of ad-hoc vessels for Middle East-bound cargo. In addition the ports have also been asked to expedite ‘Back to Town' movement of export cargo stuck at ports. The government further instructed to prioritise perishable cargo to prevent deterioration.
The ports havealso been asked to prioritise export cargo returning from Middle East.
In order to cater to the rising demand the government has asked the ports to facilitate additional bunkering capacity. Cosidering the need for faster clearances, ports have been asked to coordinate with customs, DGFT and other agencies.
As the tensions seem to rise, ports may consider waiver or reduction of charges on case-to-case basis, the centre added in its notification on Friday.
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