Help for logistic-service providers on the cards

Alongkorn and other high-ranking ministry officials held a meeting with the Thai International Freight Forwarder Association (Tiffa) yesterday to learn its problems.

He said he would send an official letter to address Tiffa's concerns within 10 days.

Tiffa has 184 members with a combined 15,000 employees. The members handle goods worth over Bt50 billion per year.

Alongkorn said the government would quickly look into the Tiffa request to help ease its members' burden, including the relevant fees.

Tiffa also asked the government to consider maintaining the fee of Bt44 per square metre for leasing space to park containers at the inland container depot in Lat Krabang. The owner of the depot, the State Railway of Thailand, plans to increase the fee to Bt56 per square metre.

He said some of the association's members were now classified as "agent broker" or "shipping", which must be allowed.They want to do the customs clearance without asking for allowance from the ship owner, but under the Customs regulations, in order to reduce the import and export process.

The Commerce Ministry will assign relevant state agencies to monitor and prevent non-Asean logistics providers from exploiting the benefits of the upcoming market liberalisation in 2013 and will promote the establishment of the network and business matching between Thai and foreign logistics providers.

Tiffa president Suwit Ratanachinda said the volume of goods transportation for export and import via Laem Chabang Port had continued to decline. The import volume via the port declined 29.3 per cent year on year in January, 20 per cent in February, 18.8 per cent in March and 21.1 per cent in April.

Import volume at the port fell 33.4 per cent year on year in January, 41.2 per cent in February, 23.9 per cent in March and 36.3 per cent in April.