Time, as they say, is money, and nowhere is this truer than in the increasingly competitive arena of international trade. Imagine waiting for days just to get cargo clearances while your perishable cargo is being ruined and your clients complain.

A sophisticated digital platform for port management known as a Port Community System can virtually erase this problem. A PCS slashes paperwork and red tape by linking, in real time, a port’s many stakeholders – from customs agencies and port management to shipping and logistics companies and freight forwarders.

Yet many low- and middle-income countries face technical and financial constraints to the adoption of PCS. They risk falling further behind as advances in digital technology accelerate.

That concern motivated the publication of a new report IAPH jointly developed with the World Bank. The report, “Port Community Systems: Lessons from Global Experience,” is a step-by-step guide to setting up and operating a PCS. It includes detailed case studies showing how PCS have improved port efficiency around the world.

A copy of the report with a summary, thematic chapters and case studies, is now available here.

Source: IAPH