The board of New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) has constituted a committee to examine in detail a proposal related to the development of a container terminal at the port on PPP (public-private partnership) model. This follows the concerns expressed by some board members on the impact of this move on the trade and local employment. Various trade bodies, including Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), have opposed the proposal of NMPT to hand over a multi-purpose berth for handling containers on PPP mode. In a recent letter to Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP), the KCCI said the multi-purpose berth, which was commissioned in 2006, has seen an annual average occupancy of 73.7 per cent from 2005-06 to 2015-16.