‘Measure up or lose your licence’

Port terminal operators
will have to shape up or
ship out. This was the
message from Tau Morwe,
chief executive officer of
Transnet National Ports
Authority (TNPA) at the
first Transport Forum for
2012 earlier this month.
Speaking at the Port of
Richards Bay in KwaZulu-
Natal, Morwe said the
focus for 2012 was on
improving efficiency and
this was to be achieved
by holding terminal
operators responsible for
operational effectiveness
and productivity.
“It is a process on which
we embarked late last
year and are continuing
at present where we are
taking a systems view of a
port by setting targets for
all terminals that have to
be met by the operators.”
Morwe said TNPA
would take on a more
comprehensive oversight
role in the future in which
terminal performance,
safety, health,
environmental compliance
as well as controlling of
port services and facilities
would be more closely
monitored. This will be
done through agreements
and licences.
“In the past we really
only exploited existing
assets, with TNPA
looking at itself as an
administrator, a tax
collector of sorts,” he said.
“The emphasis was not
on improving the system
and there was underinvestment
and a lack of
infrastructure and fleet
maintenance. There was
also inadequate return
on aged assets, limited
economic regulation, lack
of oversight and monitoring
of terminal operations.”
He said at present this
was being addressed by
stabilising operations,
creating the capacity to
monitor port efficiency.
“That is why we are
including performance
monitoring and targets in
agreements and licences.
In terms of Section 65
of the National Ports
Act, licences will be
performance-managed
through the setting of
targets,” he told FTW. “We
hope to finish the process
of licensing by the end
of the first quarter of the
current financial year.”
He said those not
meeting targets could face
a range of penalties – from
a warning to the loss of a
terminal operating licence.
“We believe this process
will increase efficiency
drastically as people will
know that for them to hold
the licence they will be
expected to perform.”
He said the targets were
based on the terminal
type and operators were
measured across the
board. “In other words all
container operators will
be held accountable to the
same standards.”