Incredible: The ship World Ruby finished unloading its cargo today at the port of Ashdod. The large vessel arrived in Israel on the first of May - with a routine cargo of 42,000 tons of soy protein. However, instead of unloading the cargo within seven days, as is customary in most of the world, the ship stayed in port for 59 days.
After 59 days, the cargo is finally unloaded,
Sources in the transport industry explain that this is a huge damage to the importer. According to them
, "A ship is like a taxi. The meter knocks," in which case the fine is about NIS 90,000 for each wasted waiting day. In other words, this is a fine of millions of shekels that the importer will have to pay to the shipping company of the ship in question. The grain importers union claims: "It's literally money thrown into the sea."
The association notes the consequences of such a fine and explains that importers are not the only ones who will suffer the enormous financial damage, but the entire Israeli public, since this will lead, among other things, to an increase in food prices.
Israeli record (negative) in unloading cargo, unloading the ship at Ashdod Port, photo: David Lax Coral Marine Services
The association tries to illustrate to the public the number of days and notes that on the day the ship arrived at the port of Ashdod, Noa Kirel had just held her first rehearsal for Eurovision, M.S. Ashdod and Maccabi Netanya held a joint press conference ahead of the semi-finals of the soccer cup, the Knesset members convened for the first session of the summer session, and the weather was still spring and pleasant.
Itai Ron, Chairman of the Grain Importers Association, reminds: "If only Ashdod Port had recruited enough workers so that there would be a reasonable response to the need for unloading hands for grain and grain ships, we would have saved these extreme events, time after time, of long waits."
Ashdod Port workers play soccer while merchandise waits to be unloaded | Grain Importers Association
He added: "It is unlikely, and against all logic, that because of a shortage of port workers, the entire public will pay. Hundreds of millions of shekels were invested in building a conveyor belt, and we hoped that Ashdod Port management would complete the process by recruiting massive employees – which is not happening. I call on the Israeli government to intervene in the managerial failure urgently."
Ashdod Port's response will be submitted when received.
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