APEC group drafting supply chain management road map

PORT stakeholders from Asia-Pacific economies are in Cebu to discuss ways to improve the flow of goods and services within the region.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Port Services Network, an organization under the APEC transportation technical working group, will lay down a blueprint to address challenges in supply chain management during a workshop which began at the Radisson Blu yesterday.

Tim Meisner, network president, said the gathering will serve as a venue to discuss and promote best practices among member economies in terms of port connectivity.

Meisner described supply chain connectivity as the movement of products from one port to another or one economy to another.

“The more efficient we make that movement, the more our economy grows,” he said in a press conference yesterday.

All inputs discussed in the workshop will be presented to the APEC transportation technical working group.

Juan Sta. Ana, Philippine Port Authority (PPA) general manager, said efficient delivery of products, handling of containers and cargoes from a foreign port to a local port will translate to cheaper cost of goods.

He narrowed supply chain connectivity to the transportation of goods from a foreign port to a local port, then from a local port to a manufacturer.

“At the end of the day, we will have cheaper cost of goods because we are discussing here the best practices around the world of how to handle cargoes, how to deliver it to the ports in a most efficient manner,” he said.

Sta. Ana said that in order to achieve efficient connectivity, foreign and local ports should have the capability to handle vessels.

This, he added, is measured in terms of available berths and modern container cranes to handle off-load containers from ship to port in an orderly and efficient manner.

Aside from improving supply chain connectivity, green development and safety issues will also be discussed in the workshop.