| The opinion of the
Association is considered
Mindaugas Milinis
Association of Lithuanian stevedoring companies has
been operating for three years. This year it is working on preparing proposals to the
Transport Program of the Government of Lithuania. According to
Gintautas Kutka, executive director and vice president of the Association, their active
position helped to reach the state when the opinion is valued and the attention is paid
to. As one of the greatest achievements of the Association Gintautas Kutka considers the
fact that the port dues for vessels were not drastically decreased and that the port dues
decrease rate was not compensated by increasing land rent rates.
While preparing the port dues regulations in cooperation with Klaipeda
State Seaport Authority (KSSA) the Association was able to persuade the ministerial
officials that such position was not right.
The port dues make about 90% of the income of KSSA and the land rent
makes only 7-9% of their income. Therefore, decreasing the port dues rate by 15%, the land
rent should be increased in two times. Then the users of the port territory - stevedoring
companies would suffer. In the new wording of the regulations the port dues rates were not
changed. Gintautas Kutka considers that the decrease of the port
dues would not have a great effect whereas the increase of the land rent would be a
serious financial blow to the port companies, particularly with the recent decrease of
cargo turnover. This year on the initiative of the Association
the work on the conception of the Law on Transit started.
The essence of this law is to regulate the relationships connected with
transportation of transit cargo by road and rail transport and to limit the possibilities
of different institutions that make the transportation more difficult by issuing various
instructions and recommendations, which only these institutions need.
Association of Lithuanian Stevedoring Companies tries to express its
position on every important issue. The objective of the
Association is to create and improve the favourable legal environment for the port in
order to make more attractive working conditions for the port clients – ship owners and
shippers. That is why the members of the Association take an active part in preparation of
the draft laws and other legal documents.
The competent attitude and effective proposals of the Association,
which in different periods was headed by such professionals as Vytautas Paulauskas,
professor of Klaipeda University; Algirdas Kamarauskas, director for infrastructure of
Klaipeda State Seaport Authority and Valentinas Greiciunas, member of the Seimas, allow to
solve the numerous problems of cargo transportation, safeguarding and customs procedures.
Market conditions and today’s dynamic life force us to introduce new technologies,
efficient equipment and company’s management structures. The members of the Association
are introducing new cargo handling technologies and equipment, quality management systems
according to ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and other standards in order to render reliable and high
quality services. |
