The new Border Management Authority (BMA) Port Health Management System (PHMS) has gone live at the Port of Durban where shipping agents and other authorised maritime stakeholders are expected to use it for services including free pratique and extensions of ship sanitation certificates.
Durban is the first implementation site. The system will be extended to other relevant ports in due course, BMA Executive Manager of Communications Mmemme Mogotsi told Freight News. The BMA has not yet confirmed dates for the wider rollout.
While the move towards online processing has been welcomed, industry stakeholders say the Durban pilot is still being evaluated. They do not expect it to deliver immediate trade facilitation improvements, particularly while integration with other government systems remains under development.
Industry assesses Durban pilot
Industry participants are providing feedback on the PHMS through Project ACME, a public-private initiative involving the BMA and South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) that focuses on trade facilitation, SAAFF Specialist Consultant Louise Dreyer and Head of Trade Facilitation Devlyn Naidoo told Freight News.
Feedback from freight forwarders and clearing agents is being submitted to the BMA every two weeks while industry representatives are engaging with BMA officials at the port daily, they said.
The system remains in an “initial design and testing phase”, according to Dreyer and Naidoo. They said its current focus is the BMA’s port health function and called for further digitisation of specialised functions, particularly state veterinary and agricultural processes.
They also cautioned against the PHMS becoming a standalone platform alongside existing government systems.
Continuous engagements between SAAFF, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and BMA are ensuring that duplication is prevented by seamless interfacing of existing and new digitised solutions, including the PHMS, they said.
Work to integrate the PHMS with relevant government systems, including those of SARS, has begun, Mogotsi confirmed. The technical and operational arrangements remain subject to ongoing discussions.
Agents see potential operational gains
Shipping agents expect the online process to improve processing times although its benefits have yet to be demonstrated at scale.
Broader operational arrangements with the BMA have improved following an agreement that allows agents to request services outside normal operating hours, subject to an overtime process, South African Association of Ship Operators and Agents CEO Peter Besnard told Freight News.
Communication between agents and BMA officials is working well as the industry adapts to the digital transition, Asal Freight Owner and CEO Charles Fraser said. He expects the PHMS to improve processing times but said its benefits still need to be demonstrated in practice.
For industry, the wider value of the platform will depend on how effectively it connects with SARS, the planned National Single Window and other government functions.
