Government controls dock service charges at threat of inflated pricing
Dockers doubled the price of their services this week
A hired hand carrying a sack of goods into a retailer near the local market in Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Malé
Dockers handling containers by capital city Malé’s principal port have had the Maldivian government lower the cap on how much they can charge for their services.
The maximum price at which dockers can strip and handle 20-foot containers is now limited to MVR 2,500 and the price of carrying cargo off of a 40-foot container is limited to MVR 5,000.
The Economic Ministry announced this decision late Wednesday evening after dockers doubled the price of their services, in response to a government restriction on cargo delivery.
Dockers were on a two-day strike this week and told local news outlets that they have asked the government to allow them to make deliveries at more ‘appropriate hours’.
They returned to work after having doubled the prices at which they will now strip containers and handle the cargo in them, to the disaffection of businesses that warned that this may cause prices to rise.
The Economic Ministry, in March, announced that cargo deliveries in Malé can only be made in the 12 hours between 18:00 and 06:00 every day. This was a move to relieve the city’s poor traffic conditions.
While the decision was commended by some, members of the capital city’s business community, merchants, as well as cargo carriers have all expressed their concern over the difficulties the new arrangement presents.
Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed said that the decision was made after consideration and discussion with merchants as well as companies that run docking operations.
