The participants of a one-day summit on the Coastal Shipping and IWT (inland water transport) in Kerala demanded the government to take steps to promote the sector.
Specifically, the participants want the government to grant infrastructure status to coastal shipping on the lines of inland water transport.
The seminar also made recommendations for the promotion of a robust coastal fleet which would lead to suitable tonnage being operated on the coast of India.
At the end of the summit, the participants adopted a resolution calling for steps to instill long-term cargo support schemes that will lead to more investments in this sector; this will help in building fleet capacity.
It also suggested availing cheaper finance for ships to be built and owned in India. This money would be used for providing finance at a lower cost to the shipbuilding and shipping industry.
The participants also called for an integrated approach to the entire subject of inland waterways, coastal shipping, ports, terminals, connectivity and land transport.
It suggested that coastal and IWT should not be seen in isolation since they are part of a larger chain. There should also be policies to aid the development of passenger traffic along the coast and inland waterways.
There is the need for betterment of dedicated berths and other facilities at ports; tariffs, taxes and vessel-related charges must also be reduced.
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