My father the late Albert Morcos was shipping agent in Beirut as from 1945, representing a couple of lines that was at a time when no deep sea port existed in Syria. In 1955, Latakia started to operate as deep sea port , and my father was one of the first leading agents. Actually, the firm is owned and managed at Beirut by his successors, namely Habib Morcos & co and at Latakia by Habib Morcos who is also the honorary consul of Sweden and Finland.

More than 22 years have elapsed since the taking over of the shipping agencies in Syria by the state owned organization of Shipco, and as we have been ourselves involved from the start as back benchers, we deem it advisable to report on the scope and nature of our activities. As it is well known and widely admitted, our role as a backing up agent has been considered of prime importance as from the very start mainly because the taking over has come abruptly and as a total surprise to all concerned, to owners, operators, shippers and receivers, if we are only to name a few. Besides, the taking over has been assigned in a most disorganized manner and to a newly formed organization with no experience in shipping and staffed at hurry with employees not well versed in shipping matters if not also completely ignorant and reluctant to sit down and learn a new job. As it proved to be, services to owners and clientele have been since deteriorating, especially after the taking over of the P and I clubs services by the same organization, who now seeks in defending owners interests a staff of young and completely inexperienced lawyers and claim officers. As a result of this unpleasant state of affairs and the frequency of gaps, shortcomings, misjudgments, and mishandling of routine agency matters, we have become ourselves more and more involved in backing up services, and therefore, in keeping our offices fully operational and well staffed with experienced officers and employees under our direct management and control.

Since about 2 years, the private agencies have been accepted and we have immediately deposited the required bank guarantee to the local authorities and started acting as such attending to all requirements a ship owner requires.