Port authorities carry out study to control port costs and tariffs

The study for the development and implementation of this tool was rendered Thursday in Yaoundé at a seminar for national port authority.

95% of the traffic of the country with the outside world is done by sea thus, several actors are involved. Therefore, it becomes difficult to control the costs of the different activities that take place.

Keen to promote the competitiveness of the Cameroonian ports, the national port authority (Apn) undertook a study to control costs and tariffs in the port sector. The presentation of the results of this study was the subject of a seminar Thursday in Yaoundé, under the chairmanship of the Minister of transport, Robert Nkili.

Launched in 2010, the study was completed in 2014. It was performed in a conceptual phase, which emerged a schema defining the methods and process of gathering data and observation. It has subsequently been question for research firm ridges to study its implementation through the analysis of the critical path and implementation.

Indeed, the research of the control of the costs in the port sector presents itself as an objective of competitiveness and an attendant's performance.

For Josué Youmba, Director-general of the APN: "this approach aims to promote a better visibility to the port sector allowing it to have a better control of the rates and costs of port passage, this by highlighting their different components and the levers that might influence them. "

Robert Nkili expressed satisfaction in the acquisition of such a tool, that represents a true compass for the Government to move in the vast universe that is the maritime sector. "Thanks to the Observatory of the tariffs, the Government can follow the daily fluctuation of the tariffs applied in the port sector and design a better tariff policy in this sector.

In addition to this Observatory of tariffs, AFN plans to propose mechanisms for operationalization, including port passage cost adjustment. She also intends to make every effort for the Observatory of tariffs to work optimally and that the port community can benefit from.