Port digitalisation: PTML, Ports & Cargo hits 90%, 56% respectively

 … Both gets Shippers Council’s tombs up

 Harboursandport.com: Lagos - Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers' Council (NSC), Mr. Hassan Bello has commended the management of Ports and Cargo Handling Services Limited and Ports and Terminal Multiservices Limited for their effort at digitalising operations.

Giving the commendation during a tour of some terminals in Lagos on Wednesday, Bello said that Ports & Cargo Terminal has improved on its automation.

He also charged the company should strive to attain a position where all of its services are done online.

He said: "All transactions should be done online. As an indigenous operator, we want you to be number one in digitization. When we had the last rating on automation, you scored 25 percent but we are happy that it's 50 percent today. We encourage you to attain 70 percent in the next three weeks.

Following agitation for increase in charges, the Shippers Council boss said the Council is not averse to an upward review of charges.

However, he pointed out that any review should be reflected in the service delivery and that the procedures must be carried out in an orderly manner.

At Ports and Terminal Multiservices Limited, Bello commended the management for attaining 90 per cent automation of its services.

The NSC boss told the company that the next achievement should be 24/7 port operations, even though he noted that security issues, bank operations, and poor lighting could affect 24 hours operations.

He commended PTML for its high-level automation, noting that the company is rated 90 percent for automation and shippers have commended the terminal as the best for seamless online transactions.

The NSC tour terminated as the CMA CGM shipping line where the Council also encouraged the company to be fully automated and service-driven.

During an interaction with NSC, the Managing Director of Ports and Cargo Handling Services Limited, Mr. John Jenkins argued that if the Tin Can Island Port access road works efficiently, the cost of doing business will reduce.

Jenkins also noted that the challenge on the port access roads has resulted in congestion inside the port terminal as the efforts to speedily evacuate cargoes are being hampered by the access roads.

The Ports&Cargo Managing Director posited that there is a need to increase terminal handling charges as cost of operations, salaries, and other fees associated with the port business have increased.

"We need to increase tariff because we haven't done so in over nine years while the cost of operations has increased. Our workers are expecting an increase in salaries. The cost of fuel and other necessary costs have also increased," Jenkins said.