Port woes not on our side – KWL

There has been no increase in service charges on the side of the Port of Kingston administered by Kingston Wharves Limited (KWL), Chief Executive Officer Grantley Stephenson has said.

Kingston Wharves is one of two terminals at the Port of Kingston, KWL said in a statement last night, suggesting that any complaints about a hike in storage fees and a logjam in cargo movement did not rest in its shop.

The other terminal is operated by Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited, the international trans-shipment hub trafficking cargo containers.

“Kingston Wharves has not increased its charges. This means that for the various cargo types handled this peak season, there is no price increase that applies,” the CEO said.

President of the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Richard Pandohie, had raised concerns about “increasing inefficiencies” at the Port of Kingston and that stakeholders had been hit by a sudden rise in fees and service charges, as well as slow throughput of cargo.

“(KWL) has expanded its yard capacity, with the demolition and relocation of on-dock warehouses and established an 18-acre Global Auto Logistics Facility at Tinson Pen, allowing for more efficient receival, delivery and storage of various cargo types, in keeping with the multi-purpose nature of the terminal,” Stephenson said.