GTI and JNPA sign TAMP conciliation agreement

APM Terminals Mumbai (GTI-Gateway Terminals India Pvt. Ltd.) and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) have signed a Settlement Agreement to reach an amicable solution and resolve a decade-long pending issue on tariff-related matters pertaining to the year 2012. The principles of the Settlement Agreement were formulated by the Conciliation and Settlement Committee (CSC) as per the guidelines issued by the Indian Port Association (an apex body of major ports under the administrative control of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways) for the settlement of pending issues between the operators and the port authorities at major ports in India. The principles of the agreement have been settled in the framework. The tariff differential will be calculated after the court orders have been issued.
The signing ceremony was attended by various dignitaries, including H.E. Freddy Svane, Ambassador of the Royal Danish Embassy to India, Sanjay Sethi, IAS and Chairman of JNPA, Jonathan Goldner, Head of Terminal Asia and Chairman of GTI, Gopal Krishna, Chairman of CSC, Dr. C. Chandramouli, and Shambhu Singh, members of the CSC, and key personnel from JNPA and GTI. 
On this momentous occasion, H.E. Freddy Svane, Ambassador of the Royal Danish Embassy, mentioned, “Today’s milestone is an important development in the logistics sector of India. It could not have been possible without the role played by the Conciliation and Settlement Committee, JNPA, and APM Terminals. This is a progressive step in creating an environment of trust and ease of doing business for investors. We are moving towards a future where logistics will play an important role in India’s becoming a major player economically and politically.”
He further added, “The need to find a resolution to this issue and other long-standing issues in the maritime sector was agreed at the highest government levels between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen earlier. Cabinet Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and senior officials in the Ministry of Ports and Shipping, including Secretary Sanjeev Ranjan, were instrumental in suggesting CSC as a platform for arriving at a solution to this long-standing issue.”
Girish Aggarwal, Chief Operating Officer, Gateway Terminals India, said, “We are pleased to amicably resolve this decade-old tariff-related dispute. We thank the Government of India, Ministry of Port, Shipping & Waterways for forming IPA, the Danish Embassy, and CSC to address this issue swiftly. We are delighted to resolve this issue in complete alignment with JNPA. This will impact the trade and the port industry positively.”
Sanjay Sethi, IAS, and Chairman of JNPA said, “The dispute resolution mechanism through the settlement process as developed by the government through CSC is likely to bring about transformative change in the maritime industry. We are glad that we have been able to come to a settlement with GTI through this mechanism and are grateful to the government for helping resolve this harmoniously. ”
Gopal Krishna, Chairman of CSC, said, “Disputes between various stakeholders in the industry have been impacting the efficiency and operational excellence of the industry players. It was imperative to establish a mechanism that not only resolves the disputes but also reduces the burden of pending cases in the court. The Conciliation and Settlement Committee (CSC) was envisaged with the intention of achieving a settlement among the stakeholders in the least possible time, thereby saving on the financial burden on the industry players as well. This will go a long way towards easing the ease of doing business and attracting private players in the maritime industry.”