| The Bombay Custom House Agents’ Association (BCHAA), along with IDBI Bank, has launched a Debit Card that will facilitate easy payment of shipping lines charges by CHAs to enable prompt collection of delivery orders, etc.This Card was launched last week at the Annual Meeting of BCHAA and the Samsara Group. Mr Nailesh Gandhi, President of BCHAA, swiped the Card (as seen in the photo above) to credit Rs 101 to the account of Samsara in the presence of Mr Mukesh Oza, President & CEO of the Samsara Group and Capt. Deepak Tewari, CEO of MSC and other BCHAA, Samsara, MSC and IDBI Bank officials.Mr Gandhi explained that this Value Added Service was thought of with the intention of doing away with payorders or cheques in the process of obtaining delivery orders from shipping lines which delayed the whole process.IDBI Bank was brought in to develop the payment mechanism as per the inputs provided by BCHAA.Availing of the Debit Card would require CHA companies to subscribe for the Card and for IDBI Bank to install swiping machines on the authorisation of BCHAA and as per the request of the shipping lines. A CHA employee would then be able to make payment by simply swiping his company's Card in the machine after generation of invoice to make payment directly to the shipping lines’ account. This service would require both the CHA firm as well as the shipping lines / agencies to have accounts with IDBI Bank.Mr Gandhi said that the Card is completely secure with each Card having a security code and there being no chance of misuse.Representatives from IDBI Bank and its Technology Collaborator said that the Card would be configured so as to allow specific payment at specific places. CHAs would be able to have multiple Cards with each Card having separate specific limits which could be increased or decreased as required. The Card would also be made available for one-off transactions. The Cards could be used only for payment of charges to shipping lines at present, though the scope of services can be expanded as per trade requirements.Mr Anand Sheth of BCHAA stressed that it would be a boon to the CHA fraternity. He said all credit should be given to the President, Mr Nailesh Gandhi, who conceived the idea more than two years ago and worked on it to make it a reality today.He said that the time and effort taken by CHAs to obtain payorders or issue blank cheques for payment of charges to shipping lines would be eliminated with this Card.He complimented the President, Mr Nailesh Gandhi, for his vision and untiring efforts over the last two years to make this Card a reality. The President and author of the BCHAA tag line "We will either FIND A WAY or make one" has totally lived up to his words is what he said.Mr Nimish Desai of BCHAA highlighted that the Card is completely secure since the Card could be used only at a pre-authorised machine and could not be used in any other shopping/commercial establishment.Mr Gandhi who took charge as President recently stated that this Card would be expanded to cover various other payments to various different agencies which the CHA is required to make, in due course. Mr Gandhi also promised the trade many more such innovative and facilitative offerings from BCHAA.Earlier, BCHAA held a meeting with Samsara Group/MSC officials to discuss the procedural and operational issues in their dealings. A highlight of the Meeting was BCHAA felicitating Mr Mukesh Oza for completing 25 years with Samsara. |
