ADPC and ADT sign MoU with Government agencies to speed up port transactions
Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) has today announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Abu Dhabi Terminals (ADT) and several government agencies that will pave the way for the introduction of a new information and documentation system at all its ports, said in the company's press release.
The MoU, signed on the sidelines of the third edition of the World Ports and Trade Summit 2013 (WPTS), in Abu Dhabi today, was between: ADPC; Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA); Abu Dhabi Customs Administration (ADCA); and Abu Dhabi Terminals.
Intended to act as a ”One-Stop-Shop” for the ports’ service and to integrate and accelerate the flow of trade-related documentation and information, the ‘Ports Community System’ acts as a secure, centralised electronic system that manages the exchange of information between all the relevant parties.
Previously, each company or agency would be responsible for liaising with each other – separately – which amounted to a high number of man-hours allocated to import and export procedures.
Speaking on the sidelines of the WPTS 2013, Capt. Mohamed Al Shamisi, Executive Vice President, Ports, ADPC, said:
“The signing of this MoU demonstrates a multi-party commitment and recognition, from both corporate and government agencies, of the long-term commercial value of making processing and transaction procedures at Abu Dhabi’s ports easier to the end-users.”
“We hope this MoU will provide a great platform and spring-board for co-operation on these matters, not just for the PCS, but other areas where we can continue to improve our competitive edge in the maritime industry, and for the emirate of Abu Dhabi as a whole.”
While the various stakeholders behind the introduction of the Ports Community System (PCS) include ADPC, ADT, and government agencies and ministries, the PCS platform will be of direct and immediate benefit to the likes of freight forwarders, ship owners, shipping agents, ports services, inland carriers, and other entities that regularly use the ports.
Dr. Mariam Hareb Al Yousef, Executive Director of Policies and Regulations, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), has today re-emphasized that the authority must remain focused on its core efforts and strengthen its procedures, to ensure the safety of food through all stages of the food supply chain. This, Her Excellency said, must be done in co-operation with all relevant institutions – from procedures at border crossings, to food produced locally, and all the way to retail outlets.
“The signing of this MoU today demonstrates the efforts of government agencies’ to unite their efforts and develop the quality of services provided to the general public,” said Dr. Al Yousef, adding:
“We apply very stringent rules, especially when it comes to the issue of importing food through Abu Dhabi Ports and we also have had a very new effective control system in place, implemented in 2009.”
Dr. Al Yousef added that the Port Community System will provide an efficient electronic link between the various government departments to more effectively document all imported food through Abu Dhabi’s ports.
PCS’s new centralised electronic system accepts and handles all the relevant information in the import–export process, and from each entity involved. It then filters and distributes the necessary information to the relevant parties, thereby saving thousands of man-hours, and contributes significantly to helping reduce processing or “human” errors. This is known as the “Intelligent Problem Detecting and Solving” application and it serves to electronically flag any inconsistencies and, overall, offer faster flowing processing of all related data.