International Courant
The inefficiency in a port to have the ability to import totally different merchandise and uncooked supplies is a value that’s finally transferred to the worth to the buyer. If the entry of a container is delayed, it may value as much as US$150 per day for having the cargo detained. Different bills are additionally added, such because the keep on the port terminal, which might symbolize as much as US$100 per day.
If the cargo is stopped for inspections or to finish the documentation, for 4 days, solely in these two further costs, the importer should pay US$1 thousand, a determine that’s transferred to the ultimate value of the merchandise, indicated Carlos Steiger, logistics specialist. and worldwide commerce of the Guatemalan Affiliation of Exporters (Agexport).
Final 12 months, the influence of delays in ports meant US$70 million that the majority sector needed to pay for the delays, stated Juan Suárez, vice chairman of the Chamber of Business of Guatemala (CIG), which provides as much as the chance value they’ve. corporations for the lack of contracts because of failure to ship merchandise.
Guatemala carried out the primary Dispatch Time Research (ETD) for the definitive import of containerized and common cargo in 2019 at maritime customs, Air Specific and on the Tecún Umán II customs. In November of this 12 months, the results of the 2020-2023 Motion Plan that was promoted from the research will probably be offered, and though there are enhancements within the places of work, there are nonetheless nice challenges to deal with.
Inadequate progress
The typical dispatch time for containerized cargo at ports in 2019 was seven days, 5 hours and 26 minutes, and in response to knowledge from the primary half of this 12 months, there was a discount to 6 days, seven hours and quarter-hour. The slight lower, from the Customs Administration of the Superintendence of Tax Administration (SAT), is taken with relative optimism because the challenges of the covid-19 pandemic and the rise within the motion of maritime cargo may have been a robust setback, which even delivery time would improve.
It isn’t the consequence we want, acknowledged Werner Ovalle, customs mayor who hopes that the brand new administration fashions will obtain a larger influence on customs competitiveness. The primary mannequin was applied within the Air Specific Customs and modifications will probably be added for maritime and land actions.
Ovalle can also be betting on the implementation of the Maritime Single Window (VUMAR), scheduled for March 2024, and the creation of the Overseas Commerce Single Window (VUCE), which establishes the Settlement on Commerce Facilitation, which Guatemala permitted in 2017. .
In response to the ETD offered by the SAT, 10 actors take part in a maritime import and 84 actions are required, Suárez indicated. The examine recognized the actors within the logistics chain and the optimistic or unfavorable influence they’ve on dispatch time, and permits the private and non-private sectors to depend indicators to take actions to enhance processes, Suárez added.
Waleska Sterkel, government director of the Guatemalan American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) identified that the discount in delivery occasions has been minimal and all the issues that have an effect on the nation’s logistics are of concern.
The SAT has labored to streamline processes, however operations in ports accountable for different ministries have an effect on occasions, for which Sterkel steered investing in infrastructure, rising the variety of personnel and coordinating schedules, in addition to making certain that pc methods are interconnected.
Extra coordination and know-how
Within the dispatch course of, not every thing relies on the SAT, there are some non-tariff permits that make dispatch sluggish, Steiger commented.
Non-tariff permits embody critiques by the Agricultural Safety Service (SEPA) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Meals (MAGA), and by the Ministry of the Inside (Mingob) the models of the Division of Ports, Airports and Border Posts (Dipafront). ) and the Basic Subdirectorate of Anti-Drug Data Evaluation (SGAIA).
Charging
All ships coming into the nation are inspected to present the corresponding authorization, indicated the MAGA, which carries out the inspections along with the Mingob, the Basic Directorate of Immigration, the SAT and the port captain’s workplace. SEPA verifies that the cargo is freed from pests of quarantine curiosity and that it complies with meals security requirements.
The documentary overview is carried out in quarter-hour and a most of 1 hour to confirm the merchandise and containers, however on the subject of medium and high-risk cargo it may take as much as 4 hours, defined the MAGA.
Within the case of medicines, the Ministry of Public Well being and Social Help offers the well being document of the medicines which are imported and the well being license to the distribution firm. With out these paperwork, entry into the nation isn’t permitted. The overview of an import request on this portfolio can take between one and three days, relying on that entity.
The Mingob, for its half, indicated that the inspections of sure containers don’t symbolize delays as a result of intelligence and data administration processes from nationwide and worldwide businesses are used to find out if there may be contamination of unlawful substances (medicine).
Since March, the pilot plan of the Activity Power for Commerce Facilitation in Puerto Quetzal has been underway, an elite unit that may subject and obtain worldwide alerts to observe containers with incidents that threaten well being, security and tax assortment, Suárez stated. .
This activity power is predicted to make use of technological instruments, tools specialised in evaluation for management and facilitation of commerce, and to have abilities in inspection and use of non-intrusive instruments, the businessman added.
There are establishments that should not have automated processes, nor are the methods interconnected, Ovalle identified, explaining that these are the challenges, for instance, having the ability to confirm MAGA non-tariff permits at customs.
The SEPA has a pc platform that generates a QR code in order that the person can have details about their case, and work is being performed to enhance this service in order that the platform has up to date data on the permits issued.
For Suárez, digital improvement is important to enhance the efficiency and productiveness of ports, it’s essential to consolidate in an orderly method a Port Group System (PCS) that permits the creation of Sensible Ports and which have interoperability between all actors as their aim. and establishments.
Along with creating Port Communities and finishing up a digital transformation, Steiger thought of it necessary to have coordination to have the ability to work with traceability platforms and that, on the a part of importers, it’s fascinating that when the ship arrives on the port they have already got all of the paperwork so as. (business bill, Invoice Of Landig and all the necessities of the Unified Customs Code of Central America and its laws, amongst others) in order that operations are extra agile.
Puerto Quetzal seeks to be Sensible Port
The Quetzal Port Firm (EPQ) seeks to be acknowledged as a Sensible Port and is within the strategy of implementing using cutting-edge know-how—corresponding to that utilized in first-world ports—in order that customers can see all of the ports in actual time. operations in every space.
“There will probably be quick visibility of the arrival of ships, rotation of docking home windows, dock occupancy charge, location of products and different processes which are at the moment carried out manually,” traceability will present transparency and higher management to port customers and the competent authorities, the EPQ reported.
The port has invested 11% of its funds in infrastructure and pc methods to modernize all processes to implement a Sensible Port. One of many investments was in tools with which EPQ “will take cost of all cargo actions inside its services.”
The top of customs stated that there are investments within the maritime system, the SAT has a scanner and entry to CCTV within the 4 ports, and in Puerto Quetzal there’s a prior digital appointment system, as they’ve operated since 2017 at APM Terminals.
With the brand new maritime dispatch mannequin, scheduled for 2024, the Automated Delivery Record will probably be applied and it’s supposed that every one methods permit the traceability of operations, indicated Ovalle, stating that one of many issues for the SAT is that every port has totally different applied sciences and makes it troublesome to attach them to the monitoring system.
Pending topics
Funding in infrastructure is inadequate to the purpose that port areas lose competitiveness as a result of the prevailing draft prevents receiving bigger ships, the lanes to move cargo are restricted and power folks to queue, even when they’ve inexperienced selective to have the ability to exit.
The EPQ has a draft between 10.5 and 11 meters, when within the area there are ports with drafts above 14 meters, stated Suárez, warning that funding in port infrastructure and different logistics initiatives, from roads, ports, airports and customs.
At present, every port has a particular legislation of creation and applies its personal insurance policies in response to that laws, which leaves the SAT out of the boards of administrators of the ports and makes investments in pc methods that every entity approves, elements that symbolize challenges to enhance the interoperability.
Among the proposals that come up are the approval of a nationwide port legislation, to create an authority that governs and coordinates exercise in ports, permits authorized certainty and ensures port improvement, together with funding in personal terminals.
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