More Than a Dozen Ports Join UNCTAD Port Data Project
Thirteen new ports joined the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD’s) port data project in November, bringing the total to 42 participating ports from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe, UNCTAD said Dec. 21 (here). The project, which started…
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in 2013, covers 23 uniform indicators on financial stability, labor productivity, and operational efficiency. The customized assessment, or “scorecard,” views indicators ranging from per-employee revenue generation, to average ship wait times, to tonnage handled per hectare of land, UNCTAD said. For example, one port’s scorecard showed that its handling rates are competitive for containers but not dry bulk, and another port’s scorecard indicated competitive labor costs were more due to lower wages than higher productivity, UNCTAD said. "The type of detailed performance analysis the scorecard allows is extremely helpful for ho[m]ing in on the weaker links in our operations, and coming up with better strategies," Hector Miole, assistant general manager for operations at the Philippine Ports Authority, said in a statement. "As an island nation, we manage hundreds of ports, and not all provide the same data, so the project is helping us harmonize information too.”