News

Following its first meeting, the Commission which monitors Port of Radès (Tunisia) announced on 30 July that a plan to improve circulation within the port would be ready within one week.

The Minister of Transport who presides over the Commission, said that the plan aims to "end disorder within the port" by:

– Reserving and equiping a remote area of the port for the reception and delivery of containers.
– Making the best possible use of the equiped areas of the port and clarifying responsibility for their management.
– Eliminating dumping in order to leave quays and working areas clear.
– Speeding up procedures to deal with long stay containers (over 4 months and two weeks).
– Using a three hectare area to stock long-stay containers.
– Improving and accelerating the port’s administrative procedures.
– Dynamising the single window system.

Referring to the recent difficulties faced by the country as a whole, he announced that measures would be taken to improve security in all Tunisia’s ports and aeroports and called for prudence and vigilance in dealing with unforseen events.

In the ports, lighting must immediately be improved, all relevant parties will have remote access to the control rooms, and the frontier security forces will be provided with their own offices for their parallel interventions.

The Minister also called for the reinforcement and revision of the port security plan and the mobilsation of joint port patrols.

He added that the program for reform of the Société Tunisienne d’Aconage et de Manutention (Society of Tunisian Stevedores) should be presented to the Ministry of Transport at the end of July 2013.  The working methods in the ports should be examined and the necessary cargo handling equipment should be provided.

Information provided by Budd Tunis on the basis of a Tunis Port Authority press release.