NEW DELHI: The cargo business in Mumbai is getting hampered due to frequent breakdown of customs department’s computer software for the past year, causing losses of several crores of rupees to the industry. Industry players have brought it to the notice of the department and have now complained to the minister of state for finance, Jayant Sinha.
Industry sources estimate of number of such erratic breakdowns to over 100 in the past one year.
Insiders claim that besides losses the breakdowns also increasing the price of goods for the end consumer as they are made to pay higher demurrage charges. Further, queues of trucks outside the cargo terminal are increasing, causing delays in transportation of goods to their destinations, they add.
Brihanmumbai Custom House Agents’ Association (BCHAA), which represents the shipping lines, agents and forwarders, has taken up the issue at different forums and sent communications to the customs department regarding the issue, but to no avail.
In a letter written to Sinha recently, BCHAA says, “For the past one year, the EDI system has been working erratically and trade has faced a number of breakdowns and planned shutdowns in the system, which has resulted in delay of export and import consignments.”
“In order to achieve higher economic growth, it is imperative that the transaction cost is kept to a minimum and dwell time of clearance is reduced for increasing competitiveness of the Indian trade and industry,” the letter adds.
