A Journey Par Excellence

CONSOLE SHIPPING SERVICES COMPLETES 10 YEARS OF INDIA OPERATIONS

Console Shipping Services India Pvt. Ltd celebrated its 10th anniversary of operations in the field of Shipping and Logistics. A humble journey initiated a decade back with only two offices in India have grown to become a leading name with eight full-fledged offices to its credit today. With diversified operational presence managed by professionals within the shipping and logistics industry, CSS India caters to a cross section of business community around the globe.

10th Anniversary celebrations were conducted at the Ramada Gurgaon hotel near Delhi on the 26th of March 2017. The function which was organised by the Delhi office of CSS was attended by India office heads, team CSS Delhi and the senior management members of CSS Group including Chairman T S Kaladharan. The celebrations kicked off officially with a cake cutting ceremony done by Chandrakala (CK), Director Operations & Ocean freight, CSS Group, Rajesh Arora, Vice President, North India and Rahat Talreja, Vice President Central India.

DJ and Dance floor invigorated the mood of the party and guests started pouring in on to the dance floor to try their dancing skills. CSS team members and Management staff too joined the dance and made the celebrations a memorable one.

CSS India being a part of renowned CSS Group headquartered in Dubai successfully manages services ranging from NVOCC to Projects and from Relocations to Heavy Equipment logistics. As a leading neutral NVOCC in the country CSS India enjoys excellent relationship with leading carriers and thereby ensuring outstanding rates and provides world class services to their clients. The organisation caters LCL services to an impressive 1650 destinations on a weekly basis. CSS India is seen as a reliable partner by their clients for global shipments through Air, Sea and Multimodal operations. More than 800 people today work with CSS Group in the Middle East and the Indian Sub-continent.




Performance Excellence Award

CSS was recently recognized with a performance excellence award by Safmarine, at their annual dinner held at Shindaga ballroom of the Metropolitan Hotel in Dubai, UAE.  In attendance to receive this award for CSS was Ajay Krishnan, Vice President, Freight forwarding, Chandrakala, Director, Ocean freight & Operations and Angeli Sudheer, Manager, Pricing & Customer service. CSS was presented with the Gold Customer award for the support extended during the year 2016. The awards were presented by Seema S Nair, Managing Director- UAE, Oman & Qatar and Campbell Smith, Head of Global Sales, Safmarine.

The recognition of this award was for the growth and consistent performance for the fiscal year 2016 and it is the fourth consecutive year that CSS has been awarded by Safmarine. “It indeed is a great honour for CSS and I personally thank Safmarine for the recognition it has extended to us over the years and this would not have been possible if not for the support the Safmarine team has extended to us since we have started associating,” added Ajay Krishnan.

Safmarine is an international shipping business offering container and break-bulk shipping services worldwide. Formed in 1946 by South African industrialists and American ship owners, Safmarine is now widely known as a north/south trade and African specialist. The line is represented in more than 130 countries throughout the world, with more than 1200 sailors selling their services.

“CSS Group would like to thank the team at Safmarine for the recognition. This will go a long way in driving growth between our organizations. We look forward to an even better year with Safmarine in 2017”, commented Chandrakala (CK).

The function included guest engagement programmes like the Movie quiz and Lucky draw which was truly entertaining.

Venturing Newer Avenues To Stimulate The Economy

Seeking to strike the right balance between Challenges and Opportunities, the annual budget meeting of Console Shipping Services India was held in Delhi in March. The venue chosen this time was the calm and quite Ramada Gurgaon. Managers and key decision makers from all over the Indian offices attended the meeting which was chaired by T S Kaladharan, Chairman CSS group. In his inaugural address, he congratulated the employees for the tremendous growth that the company has achieved in India during last financial year. He also emphasised the need for path-breaking approaches to tackle the seamlessly changing turbulent global economic scenario.

Budget presentations were done zone wise this year initiated by Rajesh Arora, Vice president North India who did the North India presentations. Central India and South India presentations were done by Rahat Talreja, Vice president Central India and Sudharshan Vice President South India, respectively. Presentations on general Market situations in the Middle East were done by Siby Kurian, Vice President Sales & Marketing and Ajay Krishnan, Vice President Freight forwarding CSS Group. Chandrakala (Ck), Director Operations and Ocean freight briefed the attendees on the latest developments in the IT and the ERP Solutions of CSS Group.

The CSS Group Management while assuring support to the suggestions which was put forth during the meeting by the delegates, re-iterated the need for focussed approached on certain niche areas which needs an upliftment.

Services offered

  • LCL Consolidation & FCL
  • Multi-modal Operations
  • Ocean freight
  • Air freight
  • Buyers consolidation
  • Customs clearance
  • Projects Management
  • Warehousing
  • Supply chain & Logistics







ITP Media Interview

Ajay Krishnan, Vice President, Freight forwarding and Chandrakala (CK) Director, Operations and Ocean freight of CSS Group sat with Shaun Ebelthite of ITP Media Group recently. The interviews of the CSS Management delegates were taken by ITP for their April edition of the Logistics Middle East and the Arabian Supply Chain magazine.

“CSS appreciate ITP Media Group’s initiative in engaging companies like CSS who have more than two decades of operational experience in shipping and logistics. Our discussions covered vital and debatable issues that needs to be addressed by the logistics fraternity today for the benefit of all”, mentioned Chandrakala (CK) after the interview.

Ajay and CK spoke in length with Shaun about the CSS 3PL facilities and the programmes in store for an advanced supply chain management strategy which will soon be implemented in the Middle East. The discussion covered crucial topics such as the volatility of the freight rates, stability recovering and the global operations of CSS.

Perception v/s Reality

Rahat Talreja – Vice President – CSS India

You must have been accused of being a Robber (as in: You robbed me) or Lootera (as in: you looted me) or Fleecer (as in: You fleeced me) or Thieves / Thugs (as in : they thugged us or in Hindi: chor hai yeh log)

More so if you are in the business of airline, malls, multiplex, logistics, high end restaurant, airport shops and cafe’s etc. Let me elaborate.

Airlines

Perception:
Every peak season like Diwali, Christmas etc., you see articles in newspapers on how airlines are “looting” passengers with exorbitant sky high fares. Bombay to Delhi ticket at 25000 which normally is 2500.
Then same night, you put on the TV and the TV as always is broken into 6 frames – 5 guests/panellists and 1 host journalist – all arguing on : Are airlines right in looting innocent passengers with sky high fares?
What is the regulator doing? DGCA? Airlines Ministry on this loot? NGO view, political party view, customers view all are unanimous: They are looting.
Just 1 person would be representing the airlines who would also 75% agree to it that they are looting.
This is perception.

Reality:
Open the balance sheet, profit and loss account, sales / purchase registers, cost matrix of the airline.
95% of the time, every year, they fly passengers: Below cost.
Reason: no pricing power and uncontrolled competition.
95% time they lose money on every ticket.
5% time – they have some opportunity to cover up due to demand supply matrix
Yet, they guzzle the capital invested, have poor balance sheets, and have losses on operations.
In India, all airline promoters are billionaires starting from Govt of India run Air India to Tata’s Vistara to Naresh Goyal’s Jet airways to the 5 star ex. airline Kingfishers billionaire promoter Vijay Mallya to the Wadia’s Go air
Because to become a millionaire, you start as a billionaire. After the so called “loot”
This is reality.

Multiplex and Malls

Perception:
How can they ask 400 bucks for a popcorn,
200 bucks for corn and 600 bucks to see this useless movie which is like semi porn (remember I am a poet at heart)
150 bucks for the parking? 100 bucks for a bottle of water?
On TV, the argument goes again: where is the regulator? Why allow them to fleece customers?
Hushed comments: these guys make HUGE money

Reality:
Most malls shut down eventually. Most multiplex chains get sold or shut down. In India, it’s almost a monopoly with PVR. Space for none but one. But are they making that kind of money you think? The answer is: read their finances, that’s the truth and you will realise how the real estate and municipal taxes are what you pay for and not the popcorn, water, wafers etc.
And we are not even bringing in parameters like return on investment which are prime to businesses.

Logistics

Perception:
Your rates are very high
Your THC is high
No one is charging VGM
Your destination charges are high
Then, it gets more personal
You guys are looting
You are like thugs
Don’t take advantage
You guys are making huge money from us

Reality:
(applicable to most except the few top companies in the listed space)
No logistics company promoter lives on the expensive Mumbai Island City / South Mumbai, all live in the suburbs and farther than that. That itself is a sign of the high charges and loot.
None is in the millionaire list
Most are highly leveraged
Most started from scratch and are still scratching something to remain in business
Negative freight & Rebate are words and concepts holier than God himself for them
Most are poor enough to see travelling to a foreign country and sometimes by business class as a sign of “I have arrived“
A lot many “buy THAT car or THAT phone” and think they have arrived and many such poor think tales.
So the real money always eludes the glamorous businesses.

Cool Storage Facility In Sharjah

CSS Kingston Logistics provides Cool storage facility inside Saif zone, Sharjah. Having a cool storage facility warehouse can be critical to your business and you can have confidence that you can count on CSS Kingston to provide what you need. The temperature controlled warehousing provides clients with storage solutions that preserve the integrity and quality of goods such as food, pharmaceuticals and electronic components. With the state of the art facilities and highly trained manpower in station, you can rely on the expertise and skills of the temperature controlled storage  division at CSS Kingston Logistics.

Conveniently located within SAIF zone, CSS Kingston is easily accessible from all parts of the Northern Emirates. Highly efficient supply chain facilities provide an edge to CSS Kingston logistics over their competitor in the fiend of 3PL management.

Service offering:

    • 35,000 Sq. Ft. Warehouse space dedicated for cool storage
    • 2200 Pallet positions
    • Suitable for Food stuff, pharmaceuticals & cosmetics
    • Continuous monitored digital temperature control
    • Short & Long Term Storage
    • Web-based Inventory Management Link to Information and Technology
    • 99.9% Order Accuracy
    • Secured with 24 X 7 CCTV monitoring

 

For enquiries, contact :

Thomas Mathew – Branch Manager

thomas@csskingston.com

The Improvements In Salvage Law: Is The 1989 Salvage Convention Environmentally Dynamic?



The preamble of the 1989 salvage convention begins by elucidating recognition of increased concern for protecting the environment and the need to create a regime to incentivize salvage operations that incorporate environmental considerations. The convention enumerates duties and responsibilities owed by the salvage parties to the environment, but it is principally in two provisions, Article 13 and Article 14 that the regime to incentivize the undertaking of salvage operations for environmental protection purposes is found.

Article 13 provides that the salvage award shall be fixed with a view to encouraging salvage operations, taking into account the following criteria “without regard to the order in which they are presented below…” (b) the skill and efforts of the salvors in preventing or minimizing damage to the environment;

Article 14 provides for a form of special compensation for salvage efforts where there is a threat of damage to the environment in order to address the irreconcilability of the principle of no cure, no pay with incentivizing environmentally motivated salvage operations.

Though these articles were enacted to provide a responsive regime to incentivize environmentally motivated salvage operations, the force of the provisions is weak. A salvage reward under Article 13(b) is will always be qualified by provision 13(3) of the Convention, “The rewards, exclusive of any interest and recoverable legal costs that may be payable thereon, shall not exceed the salved value of the vessel and other property.” Environmental threats can have devastating consequences to a region. A large oil spill for example has the potential to significantly damage marine habitats, biodiversity, and local livelihoods. By limiting a salvage reward in this manner, no matter how devastating the environmental impact of a damaged ship may be, the salvage crew must engage in a balancing exercise to determine if it is profitable. Notably, this limitation was recognized by the International Salvage Union at the 2011 Comité Maritime International (CMI) colloquium; “…all too often the tribunal is unable to give full effect to this provision because of the low value of the salved property.”



Article 14 allows for special compensation claims as an exception to the general no cure no pay principle of salvage law. One of the most significant issues with Article 14 is that the ambiguous wording has created legal uncertainty for when the provision applies as there must be a ‘threat of damage to the environment’. The meaning of the phrase ‘threat of damage to the environment’ is unclear and requires significant interpretation. To give effect to the phrase, a decision maker must consider what constitutes a threat, whether the threat must be real or may be a reasonably perceived threat, what is the meaning of coastal waters found in the definition of damage to the environment, how is the word substantial as found in the definition to be defined, and how substantial must the threat be.

Joy Thattil

Maritime Lawyer & Partner @ Callidus Corporate & Maritime Consulting ( CCMC) Dubai & India

joy@calliduscmc.com

Business, Friendship & Beyond

The relationship between CSS and FPS Rotterdam started in 2003 when T S Kaladharan and Jean-Paul van Munster met each other for the first time in Singapore. It was clear that both had a lot to offer to each other. Commencing in 2003, the combined efforts of CSS, who are a neutral NVOCC and FPS Rotterdam has made both companies to become the market leaders in consolidation services from and to the Middle East and India in their respective regions.

From there started, not only a fruitful business relationship, but also a close friendship flourished. During the past years the relationship had grown into a family atmosphere for both Kala & Jean. Never an opportunity is missed to be in each other’s family functions and over the period of time, the joy is shared of being like a single family and they continue the relationship.



After a long day of business meetings between the CSS teams and Saskia de Jong, MD of FPS Rotterdam, the day is sealed with a family diner.

New Regulations From Customs To Prevent Corruptions

Recently Indian Customs has done amendment in their Custom Act for filling of Bill of Enrty ( i.e. Custom Import documents filling ) for all Import cargos coming to India effective 1st of April 2017. In this new regulations all Consignee / their agents must have to file Import Bill of Enrty in Customs EDI system within 24 hr of vessel arrival at port, failing which a daily penalty will be imposed on Consignee. This is a very good and corrective measure from Indian Customs to stop all illegal / wrong Customs filling. This will also speed up the import clearance process in all port in India making them competitive in world market. Apart from that, Free time at all ports has been reduced to 24 hrs so that the current backlog of cargo can be eased out from all Ports and ICD(s).  This sudden movement strictly comes into picture due to nationwide NEWS of fake currency and ammunition speads and DRI, SIB, CID stops all works in every major ports and ICD(s).

This New regulation may be called the Bill of Entry (Electronic Integrated Declaration) Amendment Regulations, 2017.

 

Please take a look of the summery of the new regulations….

 

“Regulation 4. (1) The authorised person shall file the bill of entry before the end of the next day following the day (excluding holidays) on which the aircraft or vessel or vehicle carrying the goods arrives at a customs station at which such goods are to be cleared for home consumption or warehousing.

The bill of entry shall be deemed to have been filed and self-assessment of duty completed when, after entry of the electronic integrated declaration in the Indian Customs Electronic Data Interchange System either through ICEGATE or by way of data entry through the service centre, a bill of entry number is generated by the Indian Customs Electronic Data Interchange System for the said declaration.

Where the bill of entry is not filed within the time specified in sub-regulation (1) and the proper officer of Customs is satisfied that there was no sufficient cause for such delay, the importer shall be liable to pay charges for late presentation of the bill of entry at the rate of rupees five thousand per day for the initial three days of default and at the rate of rupees ten thousand per day for each day of default thereafter:

Provided that where the proper officer is satisfied with the reasons of delay, he may waive off the charges referred to in the second proviso to sub-section (3) of section 46 of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962).

No charges for late presentation of Bill of Entry shall be liable to be paid where the entry inwards or arrival of cargo, as the case may be, has taken place before the date on which the Finance Bill, 2017 receives the assent of the President.”

 

This sudden notification has make a lot of consignee’s life miserable suddenly but this will surely purify the current impurity of EXIM Trade and we CSS Delhi welcomes this strict move imposed by Custom for purification of Trade.

Rajesh Arora

Vice President – CSS North India

Chairman’s Message

T S Kaladharan

‘You can’t always get what you want’ is the opening line from one of my personal favourite songs by The Rolling Stones. One of the tracks on their 1969 album, it is the second line which provides the encouraging answer. ‘But if you try sometimes you might find….You get what you need’. Does this sentiment strike a chord with you? Does it make you assess your approach to challenges? It is true to say that sometimes we need to accept life’s realities to understand more deeply what drives us. Our aspirations need to be forefront in our minds so as to give us the driving spirit which enables us to grow in life. We all need to try to stand any chance of succeeding.
Not only in our personal lives, but also in a business environment, we all need aspirations to motivate and focus our efforts. It is therefore pleasing to learn that our marketing department has confirmed that the aspirations of the Lighthouse team have been recognised. An amazing response from Lighthouse readers provides confirmation of the interest generated by news items and features showcased in our magazine. A good corporate magazine reflects and echoes the views and interests of its staff. We may all help Lighthouse build on its success by letting them know our views. Included in this edition is a survey form for those who haven’t completed the online survey. Your comments and suggestions will be particularly welcomed. Lighthouse belongs to all of us so I would like to extend, on behalf of Lighthouse, their gratitude for your patronage. Like all of us, I look forward to continuing to read informed, stimulating, and interesting news and features in Lighthouse.

Unparalleled Service Guaranteed

CSS Group has made remarkable progress in the Indian Sub-continent last year with a well reputed brand identity. Console Shipping Services India Pvt. Ltd. is today one of the front runners and a respectable brand within Shipping and Logistics. CSS India operates as three major regions namely Northern, Central and Southern regions which control major cities and gateway ports in their respective domains. Delhi being the centre at North India is progressing under Rajesh Arora, Vice President North India. CSS North Indian operations are evenly spread out with deep roots of business in-lanes created through Punjab, Haryana and other manufacturing centres of the Northern Region. “The demand for Logistics services has been largely driven by the remarkable growth of the Indian economy. The growth cannot be judged with any short term situation, but it is totally dependent on the infrastructural development and the policies adopted by the government. CSS India has got aspirations in gaining greater momentum in the region” Commented Rajesh Arora.

Mumbai takes control of the Central Indian sector which is led by Rahat Talreja, Vice President Central India. CSS has seen a steady growth in its central Indian operations over the past years. The remarkable progress in the export segment and projects has attracted major brands to CSS. Currently the annual logistics cost of the world is estimated at about USD3.5 trillion. India spends around 14.4% of its GDP on logistics and transportation as compared to less than 8% by the other developing countries. Indian freight transport market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.35% by 2020 driven by the growth in the manufacturing, retail, FMCG and e-commerce sectors. “CSS India will see a commendable growth in the year 2017-18. We are mainly focussing on relationship marketing which is by far the most important thing required. The overall prospects for the logistics segment in the country are promising as well” mentioned Rahat.

Economic reforms, trade cooperation, improved transportation infrastructure, and industrial growth is ushering in increasing opportunities for the logistics service providers (LSPs) in India. Presently, the Indian logistics industry is witnessing development and expansion of its existing infrastructure, emergence of e-commerce specific logistics solutions, has a strong focus on manufacturing, but also has a large presence of unorganized service providers.

Console Shipping Services towards the Southern region is headquartered in Chennai under the able leadership of Sudarshan who is the Vice President and T K Vishwanath General Manager. South has recently witnessed some commendable achievements in the field of Projects Movement, especially Machinery. “It is a welcome initiative from the Government of India to create freight corridors and Logistics Park in the National Highways. Southern region, where the infrastructural developments are by far the best compared to the other parts of the country, will greatly benefit from this new development” commented Sudarshan.

Console Shipping Services commenced its services in the year 2004 from Tirupur, Tuticorin and Coimbatore which got further expanded in the year 2007. Today, Console shipping services India, with its strategic positioning at all the gateway ports of the country, is capable of handling all types of logistics movement both Imports and exports from any remotest part of the country.

CSS Oman on the Move

CSS Group management officially announced the commencement of their operations from the Sultanate of Oman. The company registered under the name of Comprehensive Consolidated Trade and Shipping L.L.C. is located in Muscat. With an aim of offering professional services in shipping & logistics, CCTS has inducted operational staff with hands on experience for handling the different departments and well experienced field staff for sales and marketing. CCTS, being a part of CSS Group will gain access to the impressive global network of CSS and thereby offer logistics movement to any part of the globe with ease.
CSS Oman will be offering end to end logistics solution from the country with its own infrastructure and a pool of trained team. Sultanate of Oman is going through a huge transformation stage in each and every sector. The influence of the Government in the infrastructural development is a key factor to assume that the Shipping & Logistics business is going to be highly prospective in this region. According to Frost & Sullivan, the logistics industry in Oman is likely to grow at a CAGR of 6.9% between 2015 & 2020. “Bringing up CSS Oman to the level of other offices of the group seems to be really challenging and encouraging at the same time. I am sure, with the team of professionals and the enthusiasm we have it is going to be a reality very soon. The support we have from the local authorities too is quite commendable” said Renjith Pillai, General Manager, CSS Oman
CSS Group who plays a key role in the 3PL service solutions in the Middle East will have considerable role to play in the Warehousing services in the Oman region. The well established and fully equipped 3PL facilities in the Sohar will be a great advantage for CSS Oman to establish its network amongst the industry players. The key drivers for economic growth in Oman are the infrastructure investments associated with the national logistics development plans, economic diversification efforts, and trade with the GCC, Asia and Sub-Saharan African countries.
CSS Group with an impressive service in the Middle East for more than Two decades in Shipping and Logistics is highly optimistic with the business in Sultanate of Oman. The trusted global partners and network agents of the group are sure to play a vital role in bringing up CSS Oman from its infancy, quickly.

DP World Visits CSS Regional Head Quarters


CSS Group Regional Headquarters had a VIP visit last month. Mr. Abdulla Damithan, Director Commercial Department & Mr Shahab Al Jassmi, Deputy Director- Commercial Department, DP World visited the new Consolidated Shipping Services facilities in the Jebel Ali Free zone. The visit was organised, on an invitation extended by the Vice President, Freight forwarding of CSS Group, Ajay Krishnan after the new Regional Head Quarters of CSS Group, got inaugurated. Guests arrived in the afternoon and were received by T S Kaladharan, Chairman, CSS Group along with Chandrakala (CK) Director, Operations & Ocean freight and Ajay Krishnan. Raj George, Sr. VP, Projects, Oil and Energy was present during the occasion.

“We are pleased to meet our long time committed customers, Consolidated Shipping Services, and visit the CSS Headquarters and their Container Freight Station in Jebel Ali Free Zone. We welcome the significant capacity expansion the CSS Group has made with additional warehouse facility.  The CSS Group is a proven partner of DP World in our mission to enable trade across the MENA and Indian subcontinent regions for over two decades. DP World, UAE Region looks forward to an even more productive future working with the CSS Group to build and support trade to and from Dubai and contribute to enhance Dubai’s position as the preferred trading hub of the Middle East” mentioned Mr. Abdulla Damithan.

The visiting officials of DP World discussed various topics of business with the CSS Management team and took a detailed look at the CFS facilities within the area. “Being an integral part of the logistics fraternity in the region, it was an honor to receive the DP World representatives at our facility. During the course of the discussion it was good to know that we share a common agenda when it comes to professionalism in the field of shipping and logistics” commented Chandrakala.

DP World is one of the largest marine terminal operators in the world, a portfolio of 77 operating marine and inland terminals supported by over 50 related businesses in 40 countries across six continents with a significant presence in both high-growth and mature markets. A dedicated team of over 37,000 employees from 110 countries cultivates long-standing relationships with governments, shipping lines, importers and exporters, communities, and many other important constituents of the global supply chain, to add value and provide quality services today and tomorrow.

“A pleasure to have received DPW to our new facility. The CSS Group is keen on working closely with DP world to ensure we maintain consistencies in thoughts and objectives across our region” mentioned Ajay. CSS Group with its vast network in the Middle East and the Indian Sub-continent enjoys a warm and cordial relationship with ports and shipping lines across the globe and DP world needs a special mention when it comes to professional logistics management and knowledge sharing processes.

Project Movement at CSS Kingston Logistics

The Projects team at CSS Kingston Logistics FZC, Sharjah successfully moved a Sewage Intake Pump Discharge Header recently. The cargo was moved on a 20mt flat low bed trailer from its origin at Ras Al Khaimah, UAE to the destination at Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia. As is the practice, extensive study and survey was conducted as part of this movement regarding the Origin, destination and the travel route. Each point of the entire project was carefully assessed to ensure a fool proof and smooth journey of the cargo. “We were extremely delighted to have this movement successfully completed within the stipulated time. An extensive study on every inch of the operation made this journey a success. We are thankful to the authorities at the origin and destination for the timely arrangements of all documents” said Thomas Mathew, Branch Manager, CSS Kingston Logistics.
The weight of the cargo was 32 tons with a dimension of 20.6M x 3.2M x 4.475M and this was moved from United Arab Emirates to the destination at Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 5 days under strict supervisions of experienced staff and transporters of CSS Group. All prior permissions were in place for the entire project movement.

Congrats Hassan

A unique honor reached CSS Group through their Public Relations Officer Hassan Haji. Government Services, TAS-HEEL has awarded Certificate of Appreciation to Hassan Haji for Best Public Relation Manager recently. A veteran in the field of public relations and liaison activities within the UAE Hassan Haji Ghuloom Haji is working with CSS Group since 2002. Hassan is instrumental in handling the Visa formalities and statutory activities of the company and its staff members. “It is a great honor to have this appreciation from Tas-heel. Public Relation is an activity where you have to be pleasant and pleasing always and I believe that it is a skill rather than a job. CSS has always cared and considered their staff and I am proud to be with CSS Group, all these years,” commented Hassan while talking about the honor.

Hassan Haji is a well-known personality in the field of basketball in the UAE. Since 1990 he is an International referee with FIBA (Federation of International Basketball Association) & the UAE Basketball federation. Hassan has controlled 400 games in Asia, Arab & GCC tournaments as a refree which includes Dubai league as well. He was awarded Best referee of UAE for the Dubai league. CSS Group congratulates Hassan Haji on his achievement.

Storage is not an Issue

The CSS Group’s focus on expanding the 3PL vertical has not been just a flash in the pan idea; it has been a strategy in the offing for a while now. Today, the CSS Group offers our customers 10 different options or facilities across the UAE – covering temperature controlled, regular storage, standard racking & Open yard services.

A challenging market environment brings with it a need to reduce costs; an effective 3PL solution allows our customers to focus on their core business while working with us to assist in improving their bottom lines, through solutions. Off course our economy of scale achieved from the investments made in the 3PL vertical, allows for this to happen.

This logic applies during economic growth and economic contraction alike. During a period of growth – the requirement for efficient inventory management and equity management often drives increased reliance on 3PL providers for strategic solutions. Similarly during a phase of market contraction, the pressure to drive down logistics costs, conversely, increases reliance on 3PL providers to provide the same, but at the other end of the spectrum.

At CSS, we have committed ourselves to the growth we foresee in the Middle Marker Segment, comprising of SMEs – manufacturers and distributors alike. Traditionally it has been the small and medium segment that has been slow to utilize outsourced 3PL solutions; our intent is to customize solutions specifically for this segment. For this, infrastructure development is essential. Our Investments in state of the art technology to equip our facilities to handle all aspects of Micro Logistics is in place. While upgrades or new investments to boost our capacity are very much part of our business development dashboard.

CSS Group 3PL solutions & services are available at:

  • Jebel Ali Free Zone– Separate and dedicated facilities for Covered and Open Yard storage
  • Al Quoz – Racked Facility with dedicated personal effects & self-storage capabilities
  • Nad Al Hammar- Temperature controlled & fully racked storage facility
  • Dubai Airport Free Zone– Temperature Controlled & racked storage facility
  • Dubai Airport Cargo Village– Semi racked storage facility
  • SAIF Zone, Sharjah– Separate and dedicated facilities for covered (racked and non-racked) & Open Yard requirements
  • Mussafah, Abudhabi– Warehouse Facility (Racked)
  • Sohar – Mixed Use Warehouse Facility – DG cargo approved, Customs bonded facility within Sohar Free Zone.
  • Bahrain – Mixed Use Warehouse Facility

Moving Cryogenic Tanks

CSS Chennai successfully handled one major movement of cryogenic tanks recently. During the first week of December 2016 the project was awarded to the CSS office and subsequently they received the confirmation to handle the project. An extensive study was conducted regarding the movement of the units and clearances needed in place for the movement of the 18 ton cargo with the volume specification of 03 x 40 OT and 01 x 40 FR. The scope of work included the cargo being taken out from the factory and moved all the way to the port through the congested city of Chennai. The climate too was totally adverse for the movement due to civil and political unrest during the time in the city of Chennai. “Chennai team of CSS did a commendable job in tacking all adversities and moving this cargo with utmost precision and care. I feel proud for my team” commented Sudarshan, Vice President, CSS South India.

Highly experienced team of professionals from the CSS Chennai office did study the inch by inch movement details that needed to be carried out. The cargo was meticulously lashed on to flat rack trailers with all precautions ready in hand. Finally the cargo which needed to be shipped to its final destination of Buenos Aires, reached safely, the port of Chennai to be loaded on to the vessel.

Dear Valued Associate!

Thank you so much for the continued support given to Lighthouse Magazine, the bi-monthly publication of CSS Group.

You are requested to attend a confidential readership survey, as part of gathering opinion about our magazine from elite readers.

This is just a 2 minute survey with only 10 questions to be answered. Thank you in advance for your participation.

Your participation and answers will be treated with utmost confidentiality and may only be used to analyse with other survey answers.

We really appreciate your time.

Those who have already participated in the online survey may please ignore this invitation

Best Regards,

Marketing Department,
CSS Group

Enforcement of DIFC Judgment in Ras Al Khaimah Courts

On 12 December, 2016 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Dubai International Financial Centre (hereinafter referred as “DIFC”) and Ras Al Khaimah (hereinafter referred to as “RAK”) Free Trade Zone Authority, RAK Investment Authority and RAK International Corporate Centre to enhance the efficient enforcement of the Judgment and / or Orders pronounced by the DIFC Courts.

Enforcement of DIFC Judgment in RAK Courts
Ras Al Khaimah aka RAK is one of the seven Emirates in United Arab Emirates. It is also one of the three Emirates which has their own Court System. The jurisdiction of these courts is set out in the UAE Constitution and the UAE Civil Procedure Law. Further, RAK Court has an independent legal system like the Dubai Courts and the entire proceedings in the Court including the documents to be submitted the Court are to be in Arabic Language.

The DIFC Courts are established under the Dubai Law No. 9 of 2004 and is an independent Common Law Judiciary based in the Dubai International Financial Centre with jurisdiction governing civil and commercial disputes. Further, unlike the other courts in the UAE, the language used in the proceedings of DIFC Courts is in English.

With the signing of this MoU, the companies that comes under the authority of RAK, can have the disputes resolved by the DIFC Courts and can enforce the English Judgment issued by the DIFC Courts through RAK Courts. However, in order to enable this provision the Agreement entered into by the parties shall explicitly contain the clause for DIFC Jurisdiction. All the RAK Government bodies, companies, Investors and individuals shall utilise this provision in their Agreements.

Registration of Will
Previously in May 2016, the Dubai Government had framed a new rule allowing all Non Muslim expatriates to register their Will in Dubai. In order to provide these services, the Government has even formed the Will and Probate Registry, a public entity of the Dubai Governement and an ancillary body of the DIFC’s Dispute Resolution Authority (DRA). This rule had been designed to protect the assets in Dubai.

However, pursuant to the new MoU signed between DIFC and RAK authorities, the above facility has been extended to those who have assets in RAK. The party who has asset in RAK can share the details with the DIFC Wills and Probate Registry about their shares, they own in any company or partnership firms in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. They can also attach the business licences also to the Registered Will.

The DIFC Wills and Probate registry may share these information pertaining to the business licences and / or property with the RAK authorities like RAK Free Zone Authority, RAK Investment Authority, and RAK International Corporate Centre. Since, only the DIFC Courts have the exclusive jurisdiction over estates and succession for Wills which have been registered with DIFC Wills and Probate Registry, if the Testator passes away, the appointed executor may approach the DIFC Court for a Probate Court Order appointing him as the executor and allowing him to execute the Will, administer the estate and distribute assets to the beneficiaries. The probate order thus issued by the Court shall contain the powers and duties of the executor in relation to the deceased’s succession.

Further in order to carry out the execution of the Will, the executor shall present the “Execution writ” by the DIFC Courts to the Ras Al Khaimah Courts. The authorities as mentioned in the above paragraphs shall execute the Will without any delay on accordance with the applicable laws of RAK. However, there shall be applicable fees to be paid in this regard.

Conclusion:
Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, the ruler of the RAK Emirate, while signing the MoU has stated that “We understand that we live today in a World where not everybody speaks Arabic Language. We are proud of our language, but we are human beings. ……What we want to do is allow businesses, people who live here, to feel comfortable that they can speak as well in English”. Sooner or later the words of Sheikh Saud Bin Sagr Al Qasimi would come true since the three above mentioned Authorities are there to support the transformation and improving the business environment and thereby attracting foreign investors and business entities to Ras Al Khaimah.

Training at CSS Mumbai

The staff at CSS Mumbai witnessed a unique training session recently. The pens and pads they carried to the conference room proved to be of no use when the training started. It was all about Martial arts and self-defence techniques. Even though the session brought in surprises and beaming smiles on faces, in the hind sight, everyone agrees that the training they got was one of the most important lessons which the time demands in India.

The training was led by Ganesh Padyachi, Business Development Manager, CSS Mumbai. Ganesh is formally trained in Martial Arts. “Self –defence is a must learned lesson for everyone. As the crime rates are soaring high in our country, we need to equip ourselves to protect our body from abuses” mentioned Ganesh. The training was conducted in two batches and covered areas like personality development, thinking style and self-help techniques as well.