ABG Haldia Bulk Terminals (HBT) is said to have received a notice from the customs department of the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) demanding import duty on equipments.
It is learnt that equipment of Rs 75-80 crore was imported without paying duty for operations at berth numbers two and eight of HDC.
The port trust has imposed import duty on the equipment of the company in the Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) because the latter failed to meet the guarantee under the export promotion capital goods (EPCG) scheme. According to the guarantee, the company must serve the port for the next seven years and not to sell or transfer the equipment.
However, the company exited its cargo handling contract with the port and decided to move its equipment from the HDC. This prompted the port trust to impose import duty. It is learnt that HBT has already paid about 60 per cent of the money in line with the guidelines and is ready to pay the remaining, in the next seven years.
HBT, a joint venture of ABG Infralogistics and French firm Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, had pulled out of its operations at Haldia, breaking a 10-year-contract (2010-20) on October 31, citing law and order issues and alleging vested interests of port authorities as reasons.
Equipment of HBT of Rs 140 crore is stuck at Haldia, including six cranes, 50 dumpers, 26 loaders and waybridges.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.