(Ecofin Agency) – The use of technology in port management is gaining more and more ground in Africa. Counting on the support of multinationals operating in the sector, several ports are digitizing their processes.
The Liberia Revenue Authority and the local branch of APM Terminal launched Wednesday, August 10, the Automation and Digitization Project (PAD) of operations at the Port of Monrovia. The project is a major step in the plan to computerize and dematerialize procedures underway on the platform since the end of 2021, and whose objectives are, among other things, to increase the efficiency of port processes by reducing physical contact and paperwork.
The technological solutions deployed as part of this phase should impact the process of removing goods, in particular the time and cost of customs clearance, which will reduce the cost price of cargo for importers, according to the Liberian Minister in charge of Trade and Industry Mawine Diggs.
« Previously, customers had to manually submit their declarations, go through valuation, raise checks, process payment in front of the customs broker, obtain customs release to present to APM Terminals for terminal operator release and l subsequent inspection as well as trucking. These processes lasted about 5 days. These have been significantly reduced with the early stages of implementing the digitization process explained Metus Freeman, regional product and customer service manager for Africa, Middle East and Asia.