Africa-Press – Liberia. APM Terminal Liberia says, it will continue working with the National Custom Brokers Association of Liberia and all stakeholders to enhance customers experience at the Free Port of Monrovia.
As part of this stride, the company, on Feb. 1, 2022 APMT Liberia started the roll out of several initiatives geared towards improvement of customer experience and business compliance as part of the company’s digitalization agenda.
These process changes include but not limited to; discontinuation of stamping – invoices and receipts shared electronically with customers, discontinuation of the scanning of bank slips with payments now posted in real time and details form account used to issue receipts instantly, declarant billing on behalf of consignee discontinued with consignees now being billed and receipts issued to them directly, brokers booking truck appointment for consignee now against authorization; consignee will now have to send authorization letters (by email or hard copy) for Brokers doing business on their behalf (same as they send to Shipping lines and other entities), all customer interaction with APMT Liberia including issues, inquiries, requests, follow up, challenges, etc.
Prior to rolling out these new measures, Head of Commercial at APMT Thomas Moore, met with leadership of National Custom Brokers Association of Liberia (NCBAL) on January 14, 2022 to engage them on these changes and address their concerns if any, ahead of release of the information to our customers.
Through this engagement, the NCBAL expressed three main concerns; that these measures will take away the essence of declarant, that it undermines them as agents and brokers and that it violates the Trade Facilitation Agreement which calls for 3 months’ notice before enforcement of National Trade Policy.
These concerns were addressed under four main thematic areas; to include, Better customer experience, by Improving processes in reducing the waiting time in our service delivery to help get cargo faster and will give better experience working with APMT Liberia and save cost for the customers, Business compliance,
Authorizing a proxy, which is a standard business process to protect the actual consignee and it also will guarantee the agent who is authorized. Others are,Digitalizing processes to greatly simplify and speed up the clearing process and make it easier and faster to clear cargo, Safeguarding delivery of containers to the consignees,
Making sure we deliver containers as per delivery order to the designated consignee or their duly authorized agents / brokers as well as Measures not being National Trade Policy which are administrative measures at APMT and does not constitute National Trade Policy for which the requirement of a three-months’ notice must be met (even though APMT acknowledges sufficient time notice in the implementation of its measures). Further engagements meant to deepen the understanding of the concerns of stakeholders are being held.
At one such meeting which took place on Tuesday, February 8, 2022 parties resolved to continuously dialogue in order to ensure a smooth implementation of these measures to the mutual benefit of all parties. APMT in particular committed to closely collaborate with the NCBAL, Liberia Business Association (LIBA), Patriotic Entrepreneurs of Liberia (PATEL) and the Fulah Business Association and keep the stakeholders in the loop on all communications.
APMT- Liberia reiterates that Brokers remain a key part of the process and will continue to process and take delivery of containers for and on behalf of their clients, the consignees/notify parties, once they have a written authorization from the cargo owner to do so. APM Terminal further noted that it fully recognizes the role of the brokers as declarants in the declaration and payment of customs duty as we have been given access by the customs authority to view this directly in ASYCUDA and will continue to work with them to streamline the implementation of these measures
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