Suez Canal Authority is considering a new initiative that will see the world's top container shippers pay tolls in advance, an official from the authority told Ahram Online. Negotiations are currently underway between the Authority and three of the world's biggest shipping groups, the Denmark-based Maersk, the French CMA CGM Group, and the Swiss-based Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC), on the details of the deal. The carriers will receive discounts in return for being charged in advance, the official said without elaborating on the reduced rates. The payments will likely be made for three years in advance, he added. (ahramonline)