CHC Bows To Truckers

12 years ago - 16 October 2012, Le Matinal

Sit-in was narrowly avoided in the port Tuesday. Truckers had decided not to work on Monday. If this were the case, businesses in the country have been paralyzed. Fortunately, a consensus was reached between the parties.

This anger is due to a new system that Customs has decided to implement. Under the new system is the Cargo Handling Corporation (CHC) who must transport trucks to make scanning. But because the body does not have enough trucks, truckers are to do and it takes too much time.

According to truckers, the new system introduced by the customs, they must scan containers, return to the CHC, ensure they have the necessary document and wait for the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) grant them deliverance.

"In doing all this, it is more than 2 hours pass. Previously, it took only 35 minutes. Thus, we can make a day trip instead of three. With all this cacophony, truckers had decided not to work on Tuesday. Thus, more than 250 trucks have not worked all day Monday. They have resumed work around 16:30, "said Hassam Bhaye Bhewa, president of the Association of truckers.

Customs Director James Lenaghan held an emergency meeting with the truckers and a solution was found.

For Le Matinal he pointed out that the Department of Customs has been working on a new system for 4 years and Monday was the day to put it in implementation of the system.

"But we saw that there were problems with the truck, he said. So we had a meeting with all stakeholders and we took the decision to return to the old system and the new will be introduced in January 2013, "he argued.

With this new system, CHC is required to transport containers to scanning. But this time the CHC has not the number of trucks required.