The technical meeting of the Central Pacific Shipping Commission got underway in Fiji yesterday with direct discussions with shipping service providers.
Nauru is chairing this 9th AGM, the first face-to-face meeting since 2019.
The government said this is the third time for Nauru to chair.
CPSC members are Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Tuvalu and Wallis & Futuna.
Nauru Maritime Deputy Director Kemp Detenamo chaired yesterday’s meeting on behalf of Nauru and said the technical meeting provides the opportunity for country representatives to table their grievances and challenges about the shipping services.
Tuvalu and Wallis & Futuna are the least serviced of the CPSC countries, with Nauru faring better when it bought its own shipping line and is able to bring in a regular shipment with a container collection point in Fiji.
Most of the concerns put forward are the frequency of shipments and excessive freight rates which equate to the increase in price of goods for the consumer.
Shipping service providers Swire, Neptune, Kyowa, NYK and Goldrock were invited to the meeting in Nadi.
The technical meeting is in the lead up to today’s main commissioners meeting which will be attended by President Russ Kun as the Minister for Ports.
The CPSC was launched in October 2020 with the intention of controlling competition to provide sustainable commercial shipping services to Small Island States (SIS).
The CPSC assumed a regulatory role in 2014 and SPC provides secretariat services in the interim.
The objectives of the CPSC include providing access to international markets to promote national trade and commerce; provide adequate and reliable frequency to guarantee sufficient supply and inventory; provide favourable route structures to serve all member states’ ports; provide affordable service rates in line with the local economies; and limit competition based on the volume of cargo available.
Photo GIO Caption: The technical meeting of the Central Pacific Shipping Commission held in Nadi, Fiji