Trade - top priority for shipping sector

Sujeewa Samaraweera Chairman Shipping Committee NCCSL

Many foreign countries have recognized the importance of paperless electronic trade (e-trade) for cutting product costs through reduced transaction costs and delays. Paperless e-trade will increase security and transparency, and provide higher revenues both for Governments and the private sector, said Sujeewa Samaraweera, Chairmen of the Shipping, ports committee of the National chamber of commerce of Sri Lanka.

The NCCSL appreciates the steps taken by the Sri Lanka customs in adopting of a paperless cargo clearance system using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) it is a significant first step towards implementing e-trade in Sri Lanka.

Automated cargo clearance will slash turnaround times and the associated costs for all import and export goods.

This will provide cost benefits to consumers and industrial users of imported goods, and help exporters to cut costs and delivery times thus improving our competitive position in international markets.

But importers and exports still have to suffer for processing and paying for delivery orders, and the documentation between shipping lines and freight forwarders, SAGT, JCT, SLPA, Banks Customs and many Government organizations, since the relevant stakeholders have not reengineered their processes in migrating from a manual process to an electronic environment to obtain a total benefit.

And most impotently the total process of EDI should be completed to derive the full benefit of the transformation, Samaraweera said.

The preliminary expenses and time needed for implementation, customization and training can be costly and therefore may discourage the stakeholders. However, the increasing importance of paperless transactions for international trade and increases in trading volumes is forcing all related enterprises in public and private sectors to re-engineer their business processes.

The NCCSL shipping committee has appealed the relevant authorities to enhance Sri Lanka's trade competitiveness by simplifying trade procedures, reducing trade-related costs, and increasing trade productivity, all of which ultimately enhance competitiveness of enterprises and the nation. Its mandate is to help make Sri Lanka a logistics and e-business hub in South Asia.