Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, has
received the report for the implementation of Port Community System (PCS) from
the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the International Port Community Systems
Association (IPCSA).
Receiving
the report in Abuja on Tuesday, Oyetola said the PCS was primarily for the
country to comply with the dictates of the Convention on Facilitation of
International Maritime Traffic (FAL) of the International Maritime Organization
(IMO).
He
said the objective of the organizations included preventing unnecessary delays
in maritime traffic, aiding cooperation between governments, and securing
practicable degree of uniformity in formalities and other procedures.
He
noted that the FAL Convention of April 2019 made it mandatory for ships and
ports to exchange FAL declarations electronically preparatory to the
enforcement of the single window approach in 2024.
”I
will like to register our profound delight on this milestone step toward the
implementation of the PCS in Nigeria which is geared towards positioning the
people to reap the benefits of global trade.
”I
will like to commend the current management of the NPA for the tenacity of
purpose and foresight to enlist the technical guidance of the IMO which led to
appointment of a consultant in 2022.
”I,
therefore, want to assure you of my readiness to take a frontline role in the attainment
of this noble objective,” Oyetola said.
The
Managing Director of NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko, said the submission of the
consultant’s report was a milestone which had being looked forward to.
Bello-Koko
said the report would set the pace for the most important part of the project,
which was the procurement of the company to deploy the PCS.
”As someone who has always insisted on the self-evident fact that automation
remains the most sustainable path to making our ports competitive, I knew I had
to pursue the implementation of the PCS.
”PSC
by its operational dynamics eliminates all forms of human interface and
attendant delays with greater vigor.
”So,
we intensified our synergy with the IMO for the technical guidance necessary to
actualize the PCS which actually lays the groundwork for the implementation of
the National Single Window.
”I
will like to on behalf of all of us at the NPA assure the Minister of the
diligence, determination and discipline required to make the implementation of
this project of national importance a reality,” he said.
PCS
is an open electronic platform that connects individual existing systems and
databases of distinct companies and organizations.
The
main purpose of the PCS is to enable secure and intelligent operational data
exchange and consolidation within the port network.
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