Established tariffs make container transport expensive for shippers.

Because of high and unprofitable prices, containerization is stalling in the country. In addition, Kazakhstan does not have a system for the control, repair and maintenance of containers. Representatives of state bodies, domestic car owners, carriers and forwarders gathered at the annual conference of ANEC and KazAPO to discuss problematic issues of the logistics industry and to form a joint action plan for 2022. This is reported by correspondent Inbusiness.kz.

Commercial Director of LLP «PTC Cargo» Bakytzhan Atashev in his speech noted that the problem of freight transportation is a significant difference in railway tariffs for the transport of goods in containers and universal fleet of wagons. The difference for the same ton of cargo is 2.5 times greater. According to him, this problem calls into question the further development of container transport in the country.

For example, the cost of w/d tariff in Kazakhstan for the transport of tons of grain in a covered wagon (capacity 65 tons) is 2859 tenge, while for the transport in a container (capacity 54 tons) 5158 tenge. Taking into account all other associated costs required for the transport of goods in containers, the cost of transport is increased fivefold. In Russia, at the level of basic tariffs, the cost of transporting tons of products, the same grain in containers and a covered wagon, is almost equal, and sometimes even lower. This is because they apply a reduction coefficient mechanism for transport in containers up to 0.7. Accordingly, the cost of transport in containers is much lower in relation to the covered wagon», – he explained.

Bakytzhan Atashev noted that due to high tariff rates Kazakhstan’s exporters and shippers cannot transfer logistics of cargo transportation from universal wagons to containers. The problem of high and unprofitable tariffs brings with it other difficulties connected with the development of containerization, namely the unpreparedness of the infrastructure of shippers and consignees. Elementary in Kazakhstan there is no system of control, repair and maintenance of containers.

Due to the high and unprofitable cost of w/d tariffs, there are other problems of development w/d transportation, such as shortage of fittings. The cumulative effect is to make transportation more expensive. Shippers and consignees cannot carry out loading and unloading operations with containers, as the infrastructure is mainly focused on universal wagons», – added the commercial director of LLP «PTC Cargo».

The change in the terms of transport from China to containerized transport clearly reflected the problems in the transport of products to China. Bakytzhan Atashev proposed anti-crisis measures to stimulate the containerization process. Namely: to change the tariff formation system or to introduce a mechanism of providing a reduction coefficient for the transport of goods in containers in inter-republic and export communications. Also organize maintenance, repair, preparation for loading of containers in the territory of Kazakhstan, create equal conditions of access at the station Dostyk and Altynkol for operators of wagons and containers, Regulating at the NAP level the interaction of railway stations, trans-shipment points, TLC, wagon operators (containers) at inter-state junction points.

Head of the Railway Infrastructure and Freight Transport Department of the Transport Committee of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan Satzhan Uzbekov responded to the voiced problems.

The problem voiced by business and KTZ today is a bilateral issue in which it is necessary to find a compromise solution (…). Now the Ministry is developing a concept for the development of the transport industries from 2023 to 2030. By the end of the year, we plan to approve it. There were also container issues raised by «PTC Cargo». Yes, this question came to us just yesterday. We are ready to study it together with everyone. I want to say that we are ready for an open dialogue at all levels», – said Satzhan Uzbekov.

Zhanna Ishingarina, General Director of TLK-Media LLP, added that now logistics chains are being reformatted, sanctions pressure is increasing. The work of other industries depends on which directions the situation in the transport and logistics industry will develop.

I see that the IIR and the state bodies are hard at communication and interaction. The public conscience today demands decisive action from the transport industry. We see that the process of braking is underway. No specific figures, strategies, how? We don’t have much time. Now you need to quickly and quickly show how these issues are resolved», – said Zhanna Ishingarina.

Transit of containerized cargo through Kazakhstan from China to Europe and in the opposite direction is experiencing a period of rapid growth – even at the height of the COVID-2019 pandemic in 2020 the growth of traffic in these areas increased by 32%, up to 876 thousand. TEU (twenty-foot equivalent) Against 664 thousand. a year earlier. In 2021, the growth of container freight volumes on the railways of Kazakhstan continued, increasing to 1 million 066 thousand. TEU, with an increase of 22% from 2020.

https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/izmenit-tarif-na-perevozku-gruzov-v-kontejnerah-predlagayut-uchastniki-logisticheskogo-rynka