PORT OPERATION DURING TIMES OF PANDEMIC
The Governance or Port Management Model has been subject to intensive debates, as to how it must be carried out; this has led the Port Authorities of different countries to face key aspects in their role, such as the flow of international commerce, liberation of international maritime shipping, deregulation of certain services, business/corporate concentration, or geographic pooling of the large port operators. Port activites in some countries, represent a significant area in the movement of ships to and from their ports; thus, possitively impacting their Gross National Product (GNP).
Regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, each country enacted their own rules and regulations, same which set forth how the mobilization of cargo would be carried out within their national territory, as well as the mobilization of crew members and passengers on board aircraft and merchant marine ships, upon their arrival at the countries of destination, in transit, or those of final destination. In this sense, the Republic of Panama adopted its own health regulations, in compliance with international biosafety regulations, by the enactment of Executive Decrees, which on port issues, they were included and disclosed in circulars issued by the General Directorate of Ports and Maritime Ancillary Industries, Panama Maritime Authority (AMP), thus, guaranteeing maritime traffic in government managed ports and in private concessioned port terminals, as well as the safety of workers involved in the ship to port interface, and the safety of crew changes.
The measures taken on a national level, include the following:
- Adoption of guidelines issued by the International Maritime Organization, published through Circular No. 4201, as amended.
- Coordination with different related Panamanian government agencies, such as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Security, the Immigration National Service, among others.
- Determination of safety measures and economic relief, for the maritime industry.
- Drafting and disclosure of an Instructive for repatriations, embarkation and disembarkation of crew members during the pandemic, including flow charts and diagrams for their easy understanding and operation.
Meanwhile, the following occured on an international level:
- Reinforcement of the Maritime Single Window of Panama (VUMPA), a tool successfully implemented since 2017 in all port logistics operations, on the arrival, stay, and clearance of vessels; and that, under COVID-19 conditions, it perfectlly adjusted to the new normality of social distancing, and standardization and digitalization of port documents.
- Support of the Declaration of members of the Port Authorities Roundtable (PAR), an initiative of the Singapore Maritime and Port Authority (MPA), in order to assure that the maritime commerce is carried out without delay and without risks for all involved.
- Support of the Declaration of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), for the safe reactivation of the cruise ship industry, among others.
To maintain operations in Panamanian ports without interruptions and safe for all personnel involved in the handling and transshipment of cargo, has been the main challenge which the General Director of Ports and Maritime Ancillary Industries, Panama Maritime Authority has delt with during the pandemic; nevertheless, the excellent work carried out, has given us the result of several achievements which we can mention as follows:
- More than 16,000 individuals from different nationalities, have been able to return to their homes during the period of March, 2020 to April, 2021, thanks to our Instructive on Modalities for Repatriation/Crew Change.
- Successful attainment of logistics tasks, in order to offer humanitarian assistance to the Zaandam and Rotterdam cruise ships, thus, facilitating the exchange of medical personnel, and necessary supplies for the vessel, crew members, and passengers.
- Low statistics on Covid-19 infection, regarding the number of workers involved in the ship-port interface in the private concessioned facilities.
- Uninterrupted rendering of services at the main government managed ports, allowing the population in the Las Perlas Archipelago, to have food supplies available and so they may carry out their fishing activities in a safe manner.
- Ship-to-ship fuel oil transfer operations were approved in an expeditious manner, once the safety measures to prevent risks of the marine environment were verified.
So, notwithstanding the Covid-19 situation, the maritime and port activity in Panama has shown to be solid and resilient; this has allowed it to maintain international maritime commerce uninterrupted.