Transport companies agree to drop fees
Transport companies agree to drop fees
Cambodia's two largest ports and the country’s biggest transport associations agreed yesterday to cut fees on container shipments in response to newly appointed Transportation Minister Sun Chanthol’s industry-wide call on Monday for solutions to reduce the high cost of logistics and transport.
Phnom Penh Autonomous Port presented a 5 per cent reduction per container fee, while the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port outlined a 10 per cent cut, Va Seomsorya, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, said yesterday following a closed-door meeting between the minister and transport industry leaders.
CamFFA and CAMTA – which represent the nation’s logistics and trucking firms, respectively – proposed a $10 per container reduction, he said. Meanwhile, CAMBA, which represents bus companies, had yet to present its confidential report.
While Seomsorya said the agreed freight fee reductions was an important first step in reforming the logistics sector, and demonstrated the willingness of the private sector to cooperate, the revised fees are not yet binding.
“The official announcement will happen on May 1, after Sun Chanthol presents his findings to the prime minister,” he said.
Sin Chanthy, president of CamFFA, said that the $10 per container fee reduction that organisation proposed “is as much as we could possibly afford”.
