Members are requested to note that the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) (of which HKSOA is a part of) has been engaging with the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) regarding various issues including the service quality of the SCA.

In this regard, SCA has sent a survey for users to fill in. The survey can be accessed at the  SCA website. 

Kindly use the below mentioned guidance in order to fill in the survey.

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• Suez Canal transit service is satisfying  
  Totally agree/Agree/Neutral/Disagree/Totally disagree 
  Please choose one which your company believes is appropriate. 
   

• Suez Canal auxiliary equipment such as tugboats are sufficient and function efficiently?  
  Yes/No 
  Please choose one which your company believes is appropriate. 
   

• What are other Suez Canal auxiliary equipment in case you select No?
  Please put your comments if necessary 
   

• The most important factor (s) affecting your choice to transit through Suez Canal (is/are):
  Safety/Tolls/Communications/Services before/during/after transits/Rescuing tools/Incentives/Other
  Please choose one or more which your company believes is/are appropriate in addition to “toll”. 
    


• Other important factor (s) affecting your choice to transit through Suez Canal (is/are)  
  It is suggested to answer to the effect;  
  Sustainable transit in term of cost could be achieved by ensuring transparency, predictability and stability of pricing policy in addition to sufficient pre-notice period before toll increases. 
   


• Calculation of current transit dues of ships is simple and easy 
  Totally agree/Agree/NeutralDisagree/Totally disagree 
  Please choose one which your company believes is appropriate. 
   

• The SCA is capable to cope and interact with the changes taken place in the market conditions. 
  Totally agree/Agree/Neutral/Disagree/Totally disagree
  It is suggested to answer “Disagree” or “Totally disagree”. This is because the industry is now concerned over the downtrend of business environments in the shipping market mainly due to the slow growth of the global economy,  
  which is expected to continue for a while. Under such a situation, the industry is now seeking SCA to review toll increases levied since 2022, but SCA has no intention to review it.  The problem on this issue is that the criteria SCA adopted in order to evaluate market conditions and decide level of toll is unclear for users. 
   

• Suez Canal Flexible Marketing Policies (Such as: Fixed rebate circulars & Long-Haul rebate service) play a key role in attracting vessels to Suez Canal 
  Totally agree/Agree/Neutral/Disagree/Totally disagree 
  Please choose one which your company believes is appropriate. 
   


• Suez Canal rebate documentation process is easy and flexible? 
  Totally agree/Agree/Neutral/Disagree/Totally disagree 
  Please choose one which your company believes is appropriate. 
   

• Communication with SCA is easy and flexible  
  Totally agree/Agree/Neutral/Disagree/Totally disagree 
  It is suggested to choose “Neutral” or “Disagree” because we would like to encourage SCA to establish regular dialogues with ASA.
   

• SCA response to customer requirements is quick and flexible. 
  Totally agree/Agree/Neutral/Disagree/Totally disagree 
  It is suggest to choose appropriate one, taking into account not only an aspect on how quickly SCA respond to inquiries from users, but also comprehensive aspect on the current situation where the current toll structure is not transparent, or sufficient pre notice period and explanation are not ensured at revisions of tolls. The industry continues to encourage SCA to establish a formal consultation process which Panama Canal Authority has already introduced.  
   

• what are other services you are interested in, to establish them in Suez Canal?  
  Bunkering/Crew change/Hull cleaning/Spare parts delivery/Medical attention/Vessel maintenance/Catering/Not interested/Other 
  Please choose one or more which your company believes is/are appropriate. 
   

• What are services you are interested in, to establish them in Suez Canal in case you select Other ?　 
  Please comment if necessary 
   


• Please state challenges during transit (if any) 
  Please share your comments with HKSOA Secretariat, if possible, in order to raise any concern or suggestion at dialogues with SCA including the in person dialogue between SCA and ICS on 28 February, where ASA, will join in a capacity of Chair, ICS Canals Sub Committee.  Comments on this inquiry will cover safety transit, waiting time for transits, documentation process, facilitation payment. expansion and dredging of canal et al. More concrete comments are highly welcome. 
   

• State your suggestion to develop SCA marketing policy 
  It is suggested to answer to the effect; 
  The canal users and their customers have grave concern over unrest situation of the consecutive toll increases especially since 2022.  Transparency, predictability and stability of pricing policy are essential. As long as components of commercial factors are incorporated into toll charges, more explanation is necessary on what index is utilized and how the index is incorporated into your calculation mechanism in order to evaluate market conditions.  I am of the view that review of toll charges should be swiftly conducted in accordance with remarkable change of market conditions.  
   

• General comment
  Please choose one which your company believes is appropriate. 
  
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Thanks for your kind attention to this matter.