The Fiji Ports Corporation Limited (FPCL) would be enforcing strict control on all vessels to provide accurate loading and discharging schedules at Port Mua-i-Walu in Suva.

FPCL chief executive officer, Vajira Piyasena, made the comment after some shipping operators raised concerns over traffic congestion at the wharf in the past few weeks.

Mr Piyasena said if vessels were not loading and discharging, they should be moved to the anchorage.

He said they had observed that some vessels were at the wharf collecting their cargo, instead of loading at a specific time.

For this, he said all ship owners must have their vessels ready with the required crew for shifting.

The dockage he said were extremely low and a vessel like Lomaviti Princess II would be around $50 for 24 hours berthing at the wharf.

For this he said was one of the reasons for the congestion.

“The anchorage charges for all local vessels are of extremely low rate,” said Mr Piyasena.

Goundar Shipping Limited managing director, George Goundar, in response said his vessels loadedall day, and they spent eight hours on the wharf.

“I pay the same dues, if I am on the wharf or on the anchorage,” said Mr Goundar.

Mr Goundar claimed that the FPCL had poor wharf management over the crowd and wharf control.

Mr Piyasena, said currently FPCL was very flexible with local ship owners’ requirements of operations.

He said they had even allowed big companies like GSL to conduct repairs at the wharf premises.

However, Mr Piyasena said this would not be permitted in the near future.

“The efficient management and crowd control will come at a cost of this flexible arrangement for ship owners’.”

He added FPCL, now a private entity, operates all facilities such as waiting shed for interisland passengers at no cost to passengers.