Jeddah: Importers in Saudi Arabia have criticised the Jeddah Port Authority for damaging goods during vessel unloading, as well as for lengthy customs clearance procedures, according the country’s Al-Madinah newspaper.
Many importers are seriously considering shipping their consignments to another Gulf port instead of Jeddah in order to avoid the losses incurred when goods are damaged.
One businessman, Abdulrahman Al-Ghamdi, told the paper he incurred a significant financial loss when all glass items arrived broken in a consignment coming from Turkey.
Customs clearance measures currently can take up to 20 days, which importers say is too much time.
Muhammad Al-Dhahri, member of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s customs clearance committee, said some commodities are cleared faster than others, which are delayed by customs officials.
Another customs official added that delays can be attributed to the port’s outdated clearance equipment.
Al-Dhahri advised importers to acquire a damage assessment from their insurance company, with photos of the damaged container. This evidence can then be sent to the port director, who can liaise with the company in charge of unloading goods. [22/01/15]
