The Western Cape’s Red Tape Reduction unit has called for a stakeholder workshop to address and find solutions to ongoing port inefficiency in Cape Town. Addressing the Exporters’ Club Western Cape recently, Glen Steyn, a research economist with the Red Tape Reduction Unit, an initiative of the provincial economic opportunities department, said congestion in the Port of Cape Town had become a growing concern, not just for trade and industry, but also local government officials. Also worrying, he said, was the red tape slowing down imports and exports. “One of the main priorities of the provincial government is export development,” said Steyn indicating that both challenges being addressed by the unit were negatively affecting on the government’s goal of growing exports out of the Western Cape. He said talks had already been initiated with the Transnet National Ports Authority port manager, Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana, as the solution to port congestion and inefficiency lay in a collaborative approach. “We don’t think that this challenge is insurmountable. In fact, it should not be that difficult to zoom in and sort things out,” he said. “However, what it does require is that all stakeholders participate in one trusted system and work together.” Dweba-Kwetana agreed, saying she acknowledged the frustrations being experienced at the port. “I understand the urgency and the concerns,” she said. “I believe that the way forward is collaboration.” Steyn said a stakeholder workshop would allow everyone to come to the table first to raise concerns and issues, and secondly to work together towards finding solutions. “Through such a workshop we can map the logistics value chain throughout – from the producer to the port – and identify areas for improvement. Our aim is to establish a stakeholder task team to work on these improvements,” he said. Steyn and Dweba-Kwetana said meetings had already taken place between the port authority and the provincial government, with both parties taking a collaborative approach. Dweba-Kwetana said it was important for port users to also be part of this process. Steyn said issues that needed to be addressed in the short term included the development of a truck staging area, an improved crane fleet operations plan, and a better communications system.