THE SHIPPING Association of Jamaica (SAJ) in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will be hosting a seminar on cargo importation, under the theme: "Bridging the Gaps and Joining the Dots".
Scheduled to take place on Tuesday, May 27 at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston, the seminar seeks to provide an update of improvements made in cargo importation by the shipping community and recommend a direction for the way forward.
The Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ) has been working with the assistance of the New Economy Project of the USAID to improve the efficiency of cargo importation procedures at Port Bustamante. This project recognises the positive effects of the Customs Modernisation Project and has addressed the complementary changes for private sector companies.
IMPORTATION PROCESS
The cargo importation process has been re-engineered and re-designed and its successful implementation will enable the port to dispense with much of existing documentation, which often present delays. It will also result in increased automation and integration of current systems.
For maximum success, the SAJ is working with Jamaica Customs, Fiscal Services, Port Computer Services, the Wharf Companies and Maritime Cargo Processing plc, the leading port community systems specialist in the United Kingdom.
These efforts will complement the policy of the Government, which has established a National Strategy on Information Technology that recognises the critical importance of electronic transactions for growth. In support of the Jamaica Customs Modernisation Project, the SAJ has already begun the implementation of electronic manifest management for Shipping Agents, Jamaica Customs and the Wharf Companies.
