Identifying the long coastline of AP as a huge advantage AP Maritime Board Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Lt Cdr BM Ravindranath Reddy (Retd.) said that the current government has been giving top priority to the state’s ports and shipping sector.
‘AP has the second longest coastline in the country. This is our strength and we need to leverage this’ said the deputy CEO, APMB(Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board), speaking at the inaugural of International Conference on shipping and logistics, organized by the Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FAPCCI).
Lt Cdr Reddy informed that under the current leadership of chief minister Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy the state government is building 4 greenfield ports which shall act as a catalyst in boosting trade.
‘The paradigm of Ports today have changed. Today ports need to be industrial hubs therefore a lot of big industries need to come up in the vicinity of ports’ said the deputy CEO, APMB.
Lt Cdr Reddy called for the imminent need to increase the utilization of ports and said that coastal shipping is a major component of any maritime sector.
‘Our coastal shipping has immense scope for growth and we need more and more cargo to get transported through this means and it’s cheaper too’ identified Lt cdr Reddy.
He also lauded the Central Government’s Gati Shakti initiative and to have far reaching benefits if implemented correctly.
Similarly Mr G. Sambasiva Rao, MD of Sravan Shipping Services Pvt Ltd and Vice President of the National Association of Container Freight Station, emphasized that cities with coastal locations like Visakhapatnam have tremendous development opportunities.
‘With both VPA and Adani Gangavaram port situated here there is immense scope for further growth in this sector’ said Mr Sambasiva Rao.
He however called for an urgent need to ramp up infrastructure to address the fast evolving demands of cargo. ‘Government must prepare for a robust infrastructure like truck parking facilities, railway sidings, road infrastructure etc. This will go a long way in enhancing ease of doing business in addition to faster evacuation of cargo’ said said Mr.Sambasiva Rao.
