MUSCAT, AUG 14 - Oman Global Logistics Group (ASYAD), the Sultanate’s logistics flagship, has unveiled plans for the establishment of a National Ports Community System in Oman — a landmark initiative that will help further the nation’s ambitions to become one of the top logistics-enabled economies of the world. In essence, the National Ports Community System is an electronic platform that will integrate the currently disparate systems currently operated by various the stakeholders who together make up the shipping, port, maritime and logistics community of the Sultanate.
Included in this grouping of stakeholders are the three principal seaports of Oman at Salalah, Suhar and Duqm, the international airports, the Directorate General of Customs (Royal Oman Police), Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Oman Global Logistics Group (ASYAD).
Based on the ‘single window’ concept, the Port Community System (PCS) will enable the intelligent and secure exchange of information between public and private stakeholders with the aim of improving the competitive position of the seaport community in Oman. It will optimise, manage and automate port and logistics processes via the establishment of a standardised platform that connects all transport and logistics chains, say experts.
As a first step in the development of the PCS project in the Sultanate, ASYAD is preparing to appoint a consultant to formulate a feasibility study and roadmap for its eventual rollout. A tender was floated in this regard here yesterday, with ASYAD specifying a September 12, 2017 deadline for the submission of bids.
Importantly, the PCS project is one of 122 initiatives identified by Tanfeedh — the National Programme for Enhancing Economic Diversification — late last year as part of a broader national push by the government to accelerate investment and growth in non-oil areas of the economy.
Tanfeedh had warned that the “absence of an integrated electronic system” that processes all documents and information related to the flow of goods in and out of Omani ports adversely impacts the efficiency of cargo handling processes.
Mooting the establishment of a National Port Community System (PCS), Tanfeedh said the initiative will facilitate the exchange information between multiple systems run by a variety of local and international government and private entities, as well as support the integration and harmonisation of the ports with other systems, such as the Bayan system of ROP Customs and One-Stop platforms. Provisional plans drawn up by ASYAD envisage options for the implementation of the PCS system at the Sultanate’s three main ports in Suhar, Salalah and Duqm. The proposed scheme will work in conjunction with the Bayan system, and will also be adopted at the One-Stop-Shops in operations at various air, sea and land border crossings.
“This initiative will provide a number of advantages and benefits to ports, such as customer service development, utilisation of available resources and increased efficiency of internal operations,” according to Tanfeedh.
“Freight lines will also benefit from the availability of updated information, while government institutions and customers will benefit from increased operational security, risk management and paper-transaction reduction,” it said.
The Omani government aims to increase the contribution of the logistics sector to the Gross Domestic Product to RO 2 billion by 2020, as well as boost the number of jobs in this industry to 100,000 by this timeframe. It also wants to reduce the time required for the sea cargo import clearance procedure from an average of 7.2 days presently to 1.5 days by 2020.
Conrad Prabhu
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