The question of who should pay the costs for tighter security in ports and among shipping lines is now a major issue for the industry. Shippers know perfectly well that some investment costs need to he passed on, and that some-body has to pay the bill for the huge investments that are being made by terminals in order to comply with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. But the question of who pays the bill is not straightforward. Surcharges should be based on the exact costs for securing facilities, and be transparent. Shippers would not want to pay for something that has been in ports for decades. There is a need for some more exact and reliable figures on what ISPS is costing. Figures vary between EUR10-15 (USD12.5-18.8) million per port. On top of that, responsibilities need to be clearly defined. Only investment costs for those services directly specified by the ISPS code to make a port more secure should be passed on. Otherwise, such charges risk souring relations between various parties at a time when there should be mutual trust to confront the security challenge.
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