Report of the Inter Ministerial Group Reducing Dwell Time of Cargo At Ports

Abstract

Ports are gateways to international trade. Compared to the actual traffic of 424 MMT at the Major Ports in 2005-06, the projected traffic to be handled in the year 2011-12 is 708 MMT. The expansion and increased globalisation of the Indian economy will require significant augmentation of port infrastructure. To cope with the burgeoning traffic of international trade, the Government has undertaken several initiatives to bring the port sector at par with global standards. Efforts are underway not only to create additional capacity but also to increase the efficiency of the existing capacity in the sector. Thus, die reduction in dwell time and associated transaction costs is essential.