Insight and Opinion Header – Page 12
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NewsSTRESSING THE IMPORTANCE
COMMENT: In the commercial shipping realm, one of the major disappointments (dare I say “scandal?”) tied to the COVID-19 pandemic has been the difficulties in the movement of seafarers, brought on by a maze of travel restrictions and bureaucratic impediments, writes Barry Parker.
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NOUAKCHOTT PRIVATE DEAL PAIN
COMMENT: The saga at the port of Nouakchott, Mauritania, continues, underlining the point made in the last of issue of PS that negotiated port deals, as opposed to the letting of terminals via public tender, are inherently risky and do little for the public good, writes Mike Mundy.
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NewsBUDGET PLANNING DURING A PANDEMIC
COMMENT: Planning for a 12-18 month period has been difficult during the past few years as globalisation has come under pressure and the Trumpian trade wars with friends and foe alike are creating enormous uncertainties, writes Ben Hackett.
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“Something to reflect on…”
COMMENT: “Autonomy”, officially defined as “the right or condition of self-government” is today a widespread feature of port operations around the globe, writes Mike Mundy.
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DIRECT NEGOTIATIONS, PLENTY OF PITFALLS
If you choose not to offer a tender for a port concession and to engage in direct negotiations with a specific party instead are you doing the right thing?
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HHLA AND EUROGATE COOPERATION
COMMENT: The news from end of May 2020 that HHLA (Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG) and Eurogate are holding discussions on cooperating in the container segment in northern Germany, may well mark a turning point in the German Hanseatic port development tradition, writes Peter de Langen.
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NewsPOST-PANDEMIC – “NEW NORMAL” OBSERVATIONS
COMMENT: The late and great baseball player/philosopher Yogi Berra once opined, “It’s very difficult to predict what might happen….especially in the future," writes Barry Parker.
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BANANA: OUT OF BALANCE?
COMMENT: Dubai Port World’s (DPW) Banana project, aimed at establishing a deep-water container terminal near the mouth of the Congo River, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), continues to prove to be a slippery road, writes Mike Mundy.
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NewsREALITY OR JUST A FALSE SENSE OF HOPE?
COMMENT: The maritime industry has been a bastion of hope over many decades even when supply and demand disparity grew, and excessive capacity was built both in the vessel and port terminal sectors, writes Ben Hackett.
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Wake-up call for national port planning
COMMENT: National port planning is a subject that has to be taken more seriously. Of course, many parties do take it serious but equally it is apparent that there are many that do not, writes Mike Mundy.
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NewsRESILIENCE & RECOVERY
COMMENT: Maritime facilities have taken essential action and quickly applied their know-how in the face of COVID-19 impacts faster than other sectors, writes Charles Haine.
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NewsWho owns R-Logitech?
In 2019, Belgian public authorities formed a joint venture with the fast-growing company R-Logitech to purchase the terminal operating group Euroports. One year on, questions are increasingly being asked about the identity of R-Logitech’s ultimate owners.
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PUBLIC PURCHASE OF IMPERIAL QUESTIONED
COMMENT: The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to lead to increased state involvement in the transport industry; for airlines it has already begun, writes Peter de Langen.
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NewsREPUTATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
COMMENT: When describing shipping matters, clichés such as “best of times/ worst of times” are abounding at present, writes Barry Parker.
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ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING IMPETUS
COMMENT: Even before the coronavirus pandemic reared its head global supply chains were heading down an increasingly digital route but COVID-19 has provided added impetus, writes Mike Mundy.
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NewsGLOBAL ORDER IN DISTRESS
COMMENT: The knowledge that the coronavirus is highly contagious and that it can be deadly is certain and the impact on the global economy has been dramatic in its success in bringing it to a virtual standstill. What is less clear is what to do next after the shutdown, writes ...
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Looking to the future
COMMENT: Under current lockdown rules – for those of us that are under them – the future has a limited horizon, basically centring on the end of lockdown. Getting to see friends and family, socialising – basic things that are now seen for their true value, writes Mike Mundy.
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NewsBANANA: A SLIPPERY ROAD
It was the source of some controversy as a result of the actions of a whistle-blower and now DP World (DPW) is again experiencing troubled times with its plan to establish a deep-water multi-purpose port at Banana port located on the north bank of the Congo River’s mouth.
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NewsCONCESSIONS: ‘BETTER THE DEVIL YOU KNOW…’
With port privatisations taking off in the 1990s, and concessions typically lasting 20-30 years, port authorities around the world are now having to decide how to proceed: extend or retender.
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NewsPORTS FACE KEY STRATEGY CHOICES
COMMENT: Ports are facing a decline in trade and strategy choices in dealing with the coronavirus, writes Ben Hackett.
