 CORPORATE
HISTORY |
Ports Terminal Limited (PTL) is a 100% Fiji Government
Commercial Company. It was registered as a company
on 30th October 1997 and became a Government Commercial
Company on 19th November 1997. The formation of
PTL is a deregulatory process of commercializing
government entities.
Ports Authority of Fiji (PAF) was reorganized into
two companies; Marine Ports Authority of Fiji (MPAF)
and PTL. As per charter MPAF became the government
regulatory arm overseeing port functions in Fiji
which involves Marine Services, Berthing and Wharfage
while PTL was designed to take over all commercial
activities such as Stevedoring, Cargo Handling,
Pilotage and all aspects of Ware housing.
| VISION |
PTL will, develop, promote and manage its port resources
in an efficient and profitable way.
| MISSION |
PTL aims to be the leading provider in the South
Pacific of safe and cost effective port terminal
services which enhance the competitiveness of
our customers; ensure maximum returns to our shareholders;
and promote the development of our employees by
being:
· A customer focussed and business oriented
structure.
· A change philosophy on work organizations
and continuous improvements in conditions, patterns,
attitudes and ethics;
· A tariff structure which enhances efficiency
and productivity;
· An environment which encourages employees
to work with commitment and enthusiasm and in
safety to achieve corporate objectives.
| CORPORATE
VALUES |
The principal objectives of Ports Terminal Limited
are to provide safe, reliable, competitive port
services in a secure environment, and to operate
as a successful, profitable, and efficient business.
Other corporate values are:
· Be commercially driven and customer focussed,
continuously improving the quality of the service
and levels of profitability.
· Encourage employee commitment and involvement
through a responsive structure, flexible work
patterns and innovative management practices.
· Reward its employees through a fair and
equitable remuneration system which will include
a performance component.
· Promote safety in all aspects of the
business.
· Become a learning based company
· Develop business through the companies
ports by promoting ports that have the necessary
facilities and equipment to attract and secure
this trade.
· Be an environment and socially responsible
organization.
· We will prove a valuable investment for
our shareholders.
· We will focus on our customers' commercial
needs.
· We will be a successful best practice
operation.
· We encourage partnering with other ports
services.
PORTS TERMINAL
LIMITED - AN OVERVIEW
|
A Government Commercial Company providing port
services in the ports of Suva and Lautoka, the
company which is wholly owned by the Government
of the Republic of Fiji, was created as a result
of Government's corporatisation programme which
endeavoured to make statutory entities as efficient
as public enterprises engaged in the same business.
The company operates the following services in
both Suva and Lautoka.
1) Pilotage and Pilot Boat.
2) Stevedoring and Cargo Handling.
3) Cargo Storage.
4) Local Wharves operations.
5) Mechanical
PILOTAGE AND PILOT BOAT
We have the most experienced and most qualified
group of pilots who are available twenty four
hours a day to take you anywhere within the group.
The pilots are all local Fiji citizens and have
an intimate knowledge of local tidal and wind
conditions that was gained through practical experience
sailing to all islands in Fiji whilst gaining
their masters certificate.
The Pilotage department is responsible for all
pilotage of vessels in and out of and between
ports in Fiji & the South Pacific. A pilot
is needed to safely guide a vessel from the pilot
station to the port. This includes the berthing
of the vessel at the port. Our pilot staff have
6 fully certified nautical pilots 5 based in Suva
and 1 in Lautoka. Pilots operate 24 hrs 7 days
a week.
STEVEDORING AND CARGO HANDLING
Our stevedoring workforce together with container
handling equipment both shore and ship based,
can handle any cargo type safely and with efficiency
and ensures that your vessel spend the minimum
hours in port.
CARGO STORAGE
The storage facility have adequate shed and outside
concrete space for proper and safe storage of
your cargo and with reefer power points we can
assure you of the safe storage of your freezer
containers awaiting delivery or export.
LOCAL WHARVES OPERATION
We provide total integrated services within the
local inter-island wharves and this enables cargo
and passenger to transit with minimum disruptions
whilst boarding or exiting the RO-RO ferries that
services the outer islands.
The installation of our computerized operations
software has given us the edge in providing real
time information for our customers and this will
be further enhanced to give our customers direct
access to real time information that should enable
our customers to better serve their clients.
MECHANICAL
The Mechanical department provides support and
services relating to the maintenance and working
condition of all machines. In addition to this
they also assist in repairs of gears and equipment
and provide welding and mechanical services to
departments operating on the wharf.
They have a pool of 8 mechanics who oversee the
servicing and maintenance of all machines and
who also regularly carry our minor welding works
and maintenance on buildings.
| LOCATION
|
Ports Terminal Ltd operates two major international/domestic
ports in Fiji. Suva and Lautoka. The Headquarters
is located in the heart of the Capital of Fiji.
The Port of Suva is clearly visible from anyway
in the city. The Port spans over a 2 KM diameter
and is equipped with the best equipment, ware houses,
pilot boats, berthing space, tugs, storage space
for both container and reefers of any size, forklifts
, gear and machinery to cater for vessel operations
of any size. The Port of Lautoka is approximately
220kms away from Suva office. The Lautoka port has
a international/domestic port service and covers
a 1 km diameter in size.
| TRADE |
Total cargo tonnage handled in Suva and Lautoka
for 2001 was 1,304,752 revenue tonnes. The effectiveness
of transferring cargo in 40' containers with its
better freight rate has seen the increase in these
containers through the port. With 2,101 forty
feet container handled in the port of Suva in
2002, an average of 175 per month, operational
gear and equipment required to safely handle and
move the containers are being upgraded. The company
has on order 2 new 40' spreaders, 2 new 40' trailers
and a new 38 tonne four high, dedicated container
handler fork truck.
Market analysis confirm that the level of containerization
of 92% of the total cargo throughput has reached
its maximum, and the only changes in future, will
be towards more 40' containers instead of 20'
TEU's.
Changes in vessel call and schedules during the
year reflect on Shipping Companies attempt at
consolidating their business and entering into
slot sharing arrangements with each other, in
an endeavor to contain costs and provide a shorter
transit time for imports and exports.
The re-exports of empty TEU's to relocate at
high utilization centers totaled 12,209 or 25.74%
of all container throughputs. This has decreased
from 33% five years ago.
Local cement production has increased dramatically
with 61,995 tonnes of coal, gypsum and clinker
imported into the country and full container loads
of finished products being exported to our South
Pacific neighbours. Motor Vehicles of 38,547 tonnes
registered a 42% decrease from budget, and the
events of 19th May 2001 contributed to the decline
in the purchases of luxury commodity.
The company has an optimistic outlook for the
next financial year but feels that importers and
exporters will not increase investment until after
the August elections are over and stability is
returned with democratic rule.
The expected introduction of our operations software
with real time information should make Ports Terminal
Limited more receptive to its customers needs.
|
| PORTS OF
ENTRY |
There are three ports of entry into Fiji, Suva,
Lautoka and Levuka. Other ports and deep water
anchorages are at Malau, Savusavu and Vuda Point.
All customs, immigration, and quarantine facilities
are provided.
SUVA
The port of Suva is Fiji's largest port. The
Port is a natural harbour and has improved shore
facilities, modern plant and equipment and efficient
port services coupled with fast shipping turnaround
and cargo flow. Suva port has no length or draft
limitation for conventional vessels entering port.
The largest vessel regularly entering is 42,000
tonnes. The Port of Suva has the following berthing
facilities for both overseas and local vessels:
LAUTOKA
Lautoka is the second largest port of entry in
the country and handles the bulk of Fiji's sugar
and timber exports. The port, services the shipping
needs of Western Viti Levu and is the base for
local cruise vessels which ferry passengers to
and from the many holiday resorts on offshore
islands. In addition to the PAF owned wharf, other
port facilities include a number of privately-owned
terminals for the handling of petroleum, gas,
bulk sugar, molasses, and wood chips. There is
also a Fishing Port that services the requirements
of local fishermen. Lautoka has berthing facilities
as follows:
Table
| SHIPPING
LINES |
The following are the shipping lines that visit
our Port.
· P&O lines
· ANZDL
· PFDL
· Columbus Line
· TASMAN ORIENT LINES
· MAERSK
· NSAL LINES(NEPTUNE LINES)
| CARGO STATS
|
| PORT RESTRUCTURING
PLANS |
Both Ports, Suva and Lautoka are due for massive
restructure activities that would transform them
into two totally new cargo handling ports. Over
the next 2 years there would be a thorough survey
and a feasibility tests conducted in order to
design a port that is both environmental and economically
beneficial as well as efficient in cargo handling
and storage. Development will then be commissioned.
A total of 300 Million FJD will be invested to
upgrade the Ports Infrastructure. The future port
is designed to occupy and provide more:
· storage space for containerized cargo
entering and exiting the port.
· Larger berths to occupy large vessels
simultaneously.
· Free and efficient flow of traffic.
· efficient cargo handling service and
added safety
Over the years, the current port has become largely
congested due to increase in volume of traffic
in containerized form. Therefore a total restructure
of the port infrastructure is desperately needed
to take into account an increase vessel and container
traffic.
In addition, the port is also anticipated to invest
in shore crane gear that would allow gearless vessel
to call into our port and discharge or load cargo
at ease. A major benefit we propose to achieve is
that stevedoring functions for cargo vessels will
take less time and will result in vessels departing
the port quicker.
| TECHNOLOGY |
The Port of Suva has invested a great deal of
finance in Information Technology to enhance the
way we manage our Port services. Our goal is to
provide the best cost effective service to our
customers and using IT is the best way to do this.
To date we have invested more than a half a million
dollars in installing cutting edge technology
that would assist us in recording and tracking
cargo movements into the port of Suva and Lautoka.
The underlying benefit we have received is that
we are able to monitor Port operations and statistics
at the click of a mouse button which then provides
relevant data for us to make informed decisions
and serve our customer efficiently.
PORT INFORMATION SYSTEM
This is a state of art system that vastly improves
tracking and monitoring of cargo that arrive in
Containerized form, loose, and vehicles etc from
any where in the world.
Our Port Information System (PIS) is designed
to simulate all our Port operations into an informatics
operational environment that would automate all
our Port Operations. This software will give us
a large degree of control and feedback on all
cargo arriving and departing our local and international
Ports. Largely it helps in cargo tracking which
is the very core of the software functionality.
The nature of business at the Port of Suva (PTL)
requires a very unique information system arrangement
to cater for the intrinsic network of processes
in operation. For optimum throughput the software
design is synchronous with the operational functions
of the company, provide adequate reporting, integrated
(to eliminate duplication), and interface with
our financial system (Sun Systems)
The port operation system implementation also
includes Radio Data Terminals (RDT) which is a
collection of hand-held units which operate on
a wireless LAN and connects to the port operations
system database. The RDT takes the richness of
IT technology in remote areas where any form of
cabling is impossible. For example, a wireless
unit can be used in the hull of a vessel to enter
cargo information into the port operation system.
The most imperative use of RDT is in the yard
and vessel hull to monitor real-time movement
and storage of cargo.
Our PIS continues to be modified and upgraded
to keep abreast with new and improved methods
to carry out Port Operation. We recently have
upgraded all our hardware ranging from Servers,
desktops and Operating system. In addition to
this we now have installed fiber optic cables
on the port for efficient data transfer and communication.
RADIO DATA TERMINALS
RDT involves the integration of wireless technologies
to enable data entry and manipulation in a real
time environment. Radio Data Terminals are small
, wireless hand held computers which send and
receive data through a frequency similar to that
of radio transmissions. The RDT's would enable
end users on the wharf to communicate container
and cargo information from any location on the
wharf.
EDI
Currently we are working on enabling EDI (Electronic
Data Interchange) with all shipping agents. This
would effectively improve the time spent in cargo
information registering and clearing and result
in faster processing and delivery of goods. Presently
our Port system has in operation two EDI formats
which are used Universally and which would encourage
all our customers and clients to use when sending
manifests and container or cargo movements.
Having a working EDI system reduces the amount
of manual punching and data entry of manifests
and cargo movements as all necessary details relating
to container and cargo movements can all be uploaded
in a matter of seconds with a push of a button.
This indeed will speed up the entire operations
on the wharf which are linked to our Port System.
SHIPPING OPERATION SOFTWARE
UNITRACK-P is surely today's most sophisticated,
feature-packed and user friendly total concept
computer system for the control of a port operation.
UNITRACK-P is one of the family of systems developed
by transport systems specialists Capitol Business
Services (Australia) Pty Ltd. for the control
of containers and, where relevant, other unitized
cargo in ports and terminals, ICDs, M&R depots
and for owned container fleets and has proven
itself over 40 various ports in the UK and all
P&O ports in Australia and NZ.
THE FUTURE OF IT AT THE PORT OF SUVA
The Port of Suva has indeed an exciting challenge
to work towards of becoming an E Port. An E Port
is basically a interactive communications interface
via the web which allows customers and agents
to perform routine analysis of their cargo , upload
EDI and electronic clearance of cargo and goods.
This will certainly have an impact in the way
cargo is registered and cleared from our port
as it will greatly reduce the time spent in collecting
and authorizing various cargo documents.
Moreover the ideal purpose of this project is
to enable routine transactions on the port a paperless
activity that would greatly reduce the time spent
for clearance of cargo.
| HUMAN RESOURCES
|
The 1st March 2001 was a milestone with PTL as
all staff had completed their first three years
of their contract period with the company. This
was then open to re-negotiation, so that each
individual can set their contract conditions.
Government then requested that all contracts be
renewed on a temporary three months basis, until
the further reforms have been completed. Worker
participation has been encouraged with three monthly
workshops, where performances are discussed and
explanations are sought from individual cost centers
on their business.
TRAINING
Eminoni Kurusiga was awarded a scholarship by
the Ministry of Fijian Affairs to complete his
masters in International Transportation, in Wales
for one year. He will resume his Suva Port Manager
post in September 2001 on his return.
Lepani Tule was attached to the port of Le Harve
in France for one month on a Port Operation and
Management Seminar. Jioji Taholo and Alifereti
Malo attended a two week observation study on
Productivity in Malaysia.
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