India to force ports to offer compensation for congestion delays

The Indian government is looking into the possibility of forcing ports to pay compensation to traders if their cargo is delayed because of congestion at the port. The proposal from the Commerce Ministry has been passed to the Shipping Ministry for final consideration The idea emerged from an inter-ministerial task force looking into ways of cutting costs for Indian businessmen.
Congestion surcharges levied by shipping lines are passed on to port users, thereby making products more expensive for consumers.