Not informed of anti-competitive practices charge in India: DP World

Dubai - Port's operator says committed to ensuring business complies with all laws and regulations

Global ports operator DP World on Wednesday said it had not received any communication from India's anti-trust regulator for involvement in allegedly anti-competitive practices by the Dubai-based company.
"We have not received any communication from the Competition Commission (of India) on this matter. We have always been committed to ensuring our business meets the highest standards, complying with all laws and regulations," a DP World spokesperson said in a statement to Khaleej Times.
Earlier, quoting sources, Reuters reported that India's anti-trust regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) had ordered an investigation into alleged anti-competitive practices by DP World and Denmark's AP Moller-Maersk at the terminals they operate in Mumbai.
Singapore's PSA International alleged that Maersk and DP World had created barriers to hinder the growth of PSA's terminal by colluding on certain charges they levy at the state-owned Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).
Subsidiaries of DP World, Maersk and PSA currently operate 4 out of port's 5 terminals.
According to Reuters, the dispute is about so-called inter-terminal transfers.
Under the agreement among the parties, freight trains arriving at JNPT carry containers destined for several terminals, but stop at only one that handles all the cargo on a given day. Other operators than collect their containers by truck for loading at their own terminals. A similar process is adopted when containers are imported and unloaded.
Quoting sources, Reuters said that Singapore's PSA had filed a complaint with India's CCI that Maersk and DP World were charging higher fee on shipping firms for handling containers that arrived at PSA's terminal.
The regulator has asked its investigations unit to further probe the allegations and submit a report by January. - waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Infrastructure