Panaji: The Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) has reduced the fees for locally built ships undergoing sea trials. The relaxation comes after the Konkan Maritime Cluster urged the port chairman to remove “prohibitive financial barriers that have long burdened local shipyards” in the state.MPA issued a trade notice on Monday approving a concession for all new vessels taking sea trials at the port without using the port’s navigational channel.“The MPA board passed a resolution to levy a one time-port dues for newly built vessels going for sea trials. This one-time port dues shall be valid for 30 days irrespective of to-and-fro movements,” said MPA’s deputy conservator in the trade notice.Earlier, the port would charge fees based on gross tonnage and size of the vessel with charges approaching Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 per trial for a coastal vessel.Each ship goes through four to eight rounds of sea trials before it can be delivered to the customer.“For years, local shipyards have faced the economic strain of paying heavy, recurring fees for every individual sea trial conducted for new vessel constructions. This practice not only increased the cost of doing business but also stifled the competitiveness of the regional shipbuilding industry on a national scale,” said Suraj Dialani, the chairman of the Konkan Maritime Cluster.The Konkan Maritime Cluster is India’s first maritime cluster set up by a group of Goan companies that have a stake in the maritime sector. The cluster aims to develop a common manufacturing facility for ships at the Verna industrial estate.Dialani highlighted the severity of the issue before MPA’s Business Promotion Council.Port officials said that the new trade notice will provide immediate relief to local shipbuilders. “Now we have to pay once for a ship, valid for one month,” said Dialani.“This achievement is a testament to the power of structured, diplomatic collaboration,” said Dialani, the managing director of Vijaya Marine Shipyards. “This policy shift is a victory not just for us but for the entire maritime ecosystem in Goa.”
