Panaji: The Captain of Ports Department has clarified on certain misleading reports and apprehensions regarding the recently floated tender for operation and maintenance of the Captain of Ports Terminal Building and allied jetty facilities.
Captain of Ports has denied the assumption that the Government is “privatising” the Captain of Ports Terminal Building or the jetties and further clarified that the tender is an arrangement for professional operation, maintenance and management of specified facilities under a operation and maintenance framework. The Captain of Ports Department through the tender has not transfered ownership of the Terminal Building or the Government-owned jetty assets to the private operator.
Under the tender framework, the selected operator is essentially entrusted with the responsibility of operating, maintaining and professionally managing the facilities for the prescribed concession period. Ownership of the Government assets continues with the Captain of Ports Department continues to exercise its statutory, regulatory, supervisory and administrative functions. The tender itself makes the distinction clear. Statutory wharfage, berthing and other charges payable by vessel operators continue to be payable to the Authority, while the operator is responsible for functions such as maintenance, housekeeping, sanitation, passenger facilities, security, surveillance, access control and other facility-management services.
The operator is also required to provide the Department with security deployment, real-time access to the Jetty Operations Management Dashboard, containing information such as passengers, vessel movements, arrival and departure times, berthing utilization, dues, user fees, incidents and maintenance activities. This will ensure Government oversight rather than transfer of control. No casino operators will be eligible to bid in this tender.
The Terminal Building and jetties are important public maritime infrastructure requiring continuous maintenance and professional management in order to ensure safety and security of the users. The proposed arrangement seeks to ensure that these assets are maintained to prescribed standards without placing the entire recurring operational burden on Government. The selected operator will work on behalf of Captain of Ports Dept. and will be responsible for, among other things, routine and preventive maintenance, housekeeping, repairs, passenger facilities, sanitation, fire and lifesaving arrangements, security, CCTV surveillance, access control, utilities and digital monitoring. Importantly, major structural repairs to jetty facilities remain the responsibility of the Authority under the tender provisions, further demonstrating that the Government is not divesting itself of these public assets.
Captain of Ports has further stated that the PPP model is also intended to make better economic use of valuable public infrastructure. The selected bidder will pay an Annual Licence Fee to the Government and shared percentage of Gross Revenue generated from the Project. Commercial facilities such as the rooftop restaurant, cafeteria, amphitheatre and ticketing counters can therefore be professionally utilized while remaining within the regulatory framework prescribed by the Authority. The objective is to create a sustainable mechanism under which the public assets are properly maintained and simultaneously generate revenue for Government rather than remaining only a recurring expenditure liability.
There is no proposal to sell or privatise the Captain of Ports Terminal Building or Government jetties. The tender seeks to engage professional expertise for their operation and maintenance while retaining Government
ownership, statutory authority and oversight. The arrangement is intended to achieve three clear public objectives: better maintenance of public maritime infrastructure, improved safety and services for passengers and vessel operators, and generation of sustainable revenue for the Government.
The Captain of Ports Department remains committed to ensuring that Goa’s maritime infrastructure is operated transparently, safely and efficiently and that public ownership and Government regulatory control are fully protected.
