Key stakeholders in the Liberian Port industry have held a one-meeting retreat amid ongoing plans to launch the country’s Port Automation and Digitization (PAD) process.
The meeting of stakeholders is to discuss how to effectively collaborate ahead of the implementation process.
The retreat, headed by port operator, APM Terminals Liberia, participants from LRA, NPA and MTS used the opportunity to review the end-to-end cargo release process at the Freeport in preparation for the official launching of the Port Automation and Digitization process.
The goal of the retreat according to the Head of Commercial of APM Terminals Liberia, Mr. Thomas Moore, was to promote a clear understanding amongst the staff of the major stakeholders within the Freeport of Monrovia on how the fully digitized electronic cargo release process will work.
Speaking during the retreat, the Managing Director of APM Terminals Liberia, Mr. Jonathan Graham, said stakeholder engagement is at the core of rolling out an effective Port digitization process, hence the need for such collaborative meetings. He stressed that automation will enhance the cargo release process and reduce the time it takes to get goods out of the Freeport of Monrovia, bringing efficiency and convenience to all parties, especially the Customs Brokers and importers.
“We consider this a major turnaround for the operations here at the Freeport of Monrovia and it is the reason such strategic engagements with all stakeholders are important to the process. We all have distinct and important roles to play, as importers, customs brokers, Port operators, and government agencies and the only way to achieve our aim is to work together” Mr. Graham remarked.
At the retreat, the Liberian Revenue Authority and APM Terminals Liberia made presentations on their preparedness to work together on the process. The Commissioner General of the Liberia Revenue Authority, Hon. Thomas Doe Nah affirmed his Authority’s full support and commitment to the process, adding that it is a critical phase of the Authority’s revenue mobilization agenda as it will increase the revenue-generating capacity of the LRA while making it easy and efficient for importers of goods to clear their cargo from the Freeport of Monrovia.
The Port Automation and Digitization (PAD) process has been a major strategic initiative on the agenda of the Port sector since the end of 2021.
Official launching of the PAD is slated for Wed. Aug 10, 2022, at the Freeport of Monrovia.
The process is driven by the Liberian Revenue Authority and APM Terminals Liberia with the strong support of the Ministry of Finance and other key stakeholders.