A DELEGATION of representatives from the local port community left the island on Sunday, April 28, on a five-day fact-finding mission to the Manzanillo International Terminal in Panama and Veracruz Port in Mexico. The team will assess electronic interface "Best Practices" being utilised at these ports which have enabled them to attain international standards for cargo clearance and delivery.
During the visit to the two 'model ports', the delegation will make an on-the-spot assessment of the capacity and suitability of the systems being utilised. This will help to inform the port of Kingston's decisions on the acquisition/creation of software to meet its special needs. The delegation comprises representatives of SAJ, Shipping Agents, Port Computer Services, Kingston Wharves, the Customs Department, Fiscal Services, and the New Economy Project/USAID.
The mission was made possible under an agreement between the Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ) and the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) New Economy Project (NEP), which is to provide technical assistance to the SAJ's members to undertake an Electronic Data Interface (EDI) initiative. This initiative seeks to improve customer services through the automation of linkages throughout and between cargo clearance service providers.
Ultimately, the project aims to create an electronic platform at Port Bustamante that will result in seamless and paperless communication between Shipping Agents, Wharf Companies, Customs Brokers, Freight Forwarders, Truckers and the Customs Department.
It is envisaged that a new cargo clearance
and delivery system will serve to complement the existing systems and by so doing enhance Jamaica' s reputation for the delivery of world class port services.
