Port Elizabeth begins electronic roll-out

June 2006 is national target ALAN PEAT NEXT MONTH will see the launch by National Ports Authority (NPA) of “Ports On-Line” – an electronic portal for both the shipping line and forwarding and clearing (f&c) industries. This portal will be accessible to all NPA clients, enabling them to submit their cargo dues electronically, submit and receive all documents like manifests and turnout reports, as well as track vessels and establish the status of cargo. First phase of the launch starts in mid-September in Port Elizabeth, where the pilot project will be test-run with selected customers before a roll-out to the other SA commercial ports. The system is composed of two releases, according to the NPA’s project manager for the scheme, Akesh Lalla. Release one, he told FTW, will be the programme related to cargo document submissions – which is aimed primarily at the f&c sector. “After three-months in PE,” said Lalla, “this release goes out nationally.” Release two is the marine services section, mostly used by shipping lines and their agents for vessel estimated times of arrival (eta) and estimated times of departure (etd), tug booking, ordering of pilots and the like. “But it will also serve to give public notice of etas and etds and actual times of arrival and departure of vessels,” said Lalla, “offering interested parties in the market place this up-dated information.” This second release will also roll out after the three-month trial period. But, Lalla added, it will only be implemented on a one-port-at-a-time basis – allowing for the necessary staff training and shipping line familiarity to be achieved at each port. “The target we have for all the ports to become on-line is June 2006,” he said.