Ports seek to change image: plan customer satisfaction survey
Updated: Jun 03, 2013 02:07:26pm
New Delhi, June 3 (KNN) In the backdrop of grievances of exporters and importers with regard to port services which often result in high transaction cost, the Indian Port Association (IPA), the body of the major ports, plans to conduct a user satisfaction survey.
“Major Ports of India, intends to conduct user satisfaction survey in respect to the services rendered by them by a renowned/ independent agency having experience and credibility in carrying out such surveys,” said the Chief Administrative Officer, IPA in a notification.
With the growing need for port services in the country, there is a requirement for more ports to be set up. Further, infrastructure of Indian ports needs to be on par with other ports across the world.
"There is a need for modern ports in the country as existing ports are plagued with problems like congestion, poor connectivity and accessibility and lack of adequate facilities. Also, turnaround time at ports in India is one of the biggest handicaps logistics service providers have to deal with," said a recent study conducted by the economic research bureau of Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).
In fact, the Planning Commission's 12th Five Year Plan working committee on ports has stated that Indian ports need to gear themselves.
"For doing so essentially what is required is modernising the port infrastructure, improving the service quality and an increase in productivity levels. The resources required to build the necessary infrastructure are much larger and, therefore, public investment has inevitably to be supplemented by private sector investment in public private partnership (PPP) mode," the report added.
The present economic slowdown further reinforces the need for sprucing up of the logistics costs in India, according to Assocham. The only way it can be achieved would be to create new logistics capacities and provide services under competitive market conditions.
But even as India's merchandise trade has increasingly been affected by its deficient port infrastructure, the non-major ports are collectively emerging as the dominant mode of international trade flows.
In order to cater to the needs of growing trade, India needs an additional capacity of 141 million tonnes at major ports by 2016-17 requiring an investment of Rs 17,788 crore, the Assocham study has pointed out.
Further, approximately Rs 126.30 crore would be required to augment the port capacity of one million tonnes.
Assocham therefore thinks, an additional requirement of 140.84 million tonnes would require an investment to the tune of Rs 17,788.09 crore and most of it would need to come from the private sector.
However, before the private sector can be expected to be attracted towards investment in the port sector, certain critical issues need to be addressed. These include lack of level playing field for the private sector port operators, improving hinterland connectivity and stepping up coordination between road, rail and port authorities and proper risk allocation.
At present, capacity at the major ports in India is 689.83 million tonnes while the projected traffic by 2016-17 is at 830.67 million tonnes, the study noted.
User satisfaction survey is a process of discovering whether or not the clients are happy or satisfied with the services received from the major ports of India.
The survey may be conducted face to face, over the phone, via email or internet, or on handwritten forms. The clients’ answers to questions are then used to analyse whether or not changes need to be made in business operations to increase overall satisfaction of clients. (KNN)
“Major Ports of India, intends to conduct user satisfaction survey in respect to the services rendered by them by a renowned/ independent agency having experience and credibility in carrying out such surveys,” said the Chief Administrative Officer, IPA in a notification.
With the growing need for port services in the country, there is a requirement for more ports to be set up. Further, infrastructure of Indian ports needs to be on par with other ports across the world.
"There is a need for modern ports in the country as existing ports are plagued with problems like congestion, poor connectivity and accessibility and lack of adequate facilities. Also, turnaround time at ports in India is one of the biggest handicaps logistics service providers have to deal with," said a recent study conducted by the economic research bureau of Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM).
In fact, the Planning Commission's 12th Five Year Plan working committee on ports has stated that Indian ports need to gear themselves.
"For doing so essentially what is required is modernising the port infrastructure, improving the service quality and an increase in productivity levels. The resources required to build the necessary infrastructure are much larger and, therefore, public investment has inevitably to be supplemented by private sector investment in public private partnership (PPP) mode," the report added.
The present economic slowdown further reinforces the need for sprucing up of the logistics costs in India, according to Assocham. The only way it can be achieved would be to create new logistics capacities and provide services under competitive market conditions.
But even as India's merchandise trade has increasingly been affected by its deficient port infrastructure, the non-major ports are collectively emerging as the dominant mode of international trade flows.
In order to cater to the needs of growing trade, India needs an additional capacity of 141 million tonnes at major ports by 2016-17 requiring an investment of Rs 17,788 crore, the Assocham study has pointed out.
Further, approximately Rs 126.30 crore would be required to augment the port capacity of one million tonnes.
Assocham therefore thinks, an additional requirement of 140.84 million tonnes would require an investment to the tune of Rs 17,788.09 crore and most of it would need to come from the private sector.
However, before the private sector can be expected to be attracted towards investment in the port sector, certain critical issues need to be addressed. These include lack of level playing field for the private sector port operators, improving hinterland connectivity and stepping up coordination between road, rail and port authorities and proper risk allocation.
At present, capacity at the major ports in India is 689.83 million tonnes while the projected traffic by 2016-17 is at 830.67 million tonnes, the study noted.
User satisfaction survey is a process of discovering whether or not the clients are happy or satisfied with the services received from the major ports of India.
The survey may be conducted face to face, over the phone, via email or internet, or on handwritten forms. The clients’ answers to questions are then used to analyse whether or not changes need to be made in business operations to increase overall satisfaction of clients. (KNN)
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