El Callao port on way to obtain Guarantee Seal

(Lima, June 3, 2008).- The Andean Development Corporation, Valencia Port Foundation, and the National Port Authority (ANP) today started the trial period of the Guarantee Seal in El Callao, Peru, which puts the port on the path to being the second in the region to implement the program.

The ceremony was headed by APN Board President Frank Boyle Alvarado; president of the Valencia Port Foundation Rafael del Moral; and the director of CAF Port Services Quality Program, Julián Villalba, who said that with the Guarantee Seal, clients of the port which used the services of duly qualified operators would enjoy the advantages of speed, reliability and safety as reflected in the capacity to guarantee the quality of the service provided.

"As a result, ships will receive an estimated fixed time for docking from their arrival at the port, and importers will know in advance the time when they will receive their cargo at destination," he said.

ANP President Alvarado said that an efficient logistics chain of national ports was essential for achieving a quality international service.

"Through the Guarantee Seal, actions will be taken to optimize provision of port services and improve user satisfaction. The starting point of the Seal was the setting up of El Callao Port Quality Council which groups the port logistics community, of which our organization currently holds the presidency," he said.

Also during the ceremony, the Commitment to cooperate with implementation of the El Callao Port Guarantee Seal was signed by institutions sponsoring the Puertos de Primera (First Class Ports) project.

The event was attended by representatives of the following organizations: National Tax Administration (Sunat); Department of Water Transport; Department of Harbormasters' and Coastguards (DICAPI); Empresa Nacional de Puertos (ENAPU); Dubai Ports World Callao (DP World Callao); National Agricultural Health Service (SENASA); Department of Environmental Health (DIGESA); Department of International Maritime Health (DISA I); Department of Migrations and Naturalization (DIGEMIN); Peruvian Association of Maritime Agents (APAM); Peruvian Association of Port Operators (ASPPOR); Peruvian Association of Customs Agents (AAAP); and Peruvian Association of International Cargo Agents - Association of Transport and Logistics (APACIT).

Also present were Peruvian Pilots’ Association (APPM); Peruvian Union of Port Pilots (UPRAPPER); Peruvian Association of Maritime Pilots of Buoys (ASPRABOYAS); Peruvian National Union of Truck Owners (UNT); National Association of Cargo Land Transport (ANATEC); Peruvian Warehouse and Terminals Association (APAT); Peruvian Association of Storage Terminals (ATAP); El Callao Provincial Municipality; Peruvian Ship’s Chandlers Association (APROVEB); Andean Development Corporation - Valencia Polytechnic University (CAF/UPV); Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur); Lima Chamber of Commerce (CCL); Peruvian Maritime Association; El Callao Chamber of Commerce and the El Callao Engineers Association.

The Seal is now operating at regional level in a trial period in the ports of Cartagena in Colombia and Guayaquil in Ecuador. The trials will later be extended to Buenaventura in Colombia and Puerto Cabello in Venezuela. These ports were identified and selected as initial targets because they handle the region’s heaviest container traffic.

It should be recalled that the Latin American Port Quality Association (ALCP), a non-profit organization which acts as holder of the Guarantee Seal in all the region, was formed by CAF, the Guarantee Seal Foundation of the Valencia Autonomous Government, and the Valencia Port Foundation of the Valencia Port Authority in April 2007.

The ALCP emerged from the Puertos de Primera program which was the result of institutional cooperation between CAF and Valencia Polytechnic University (UPV). In this respect a study on Logistics and Competitiveness completed in 2002 recognized the importance of ports in the international trade of Andean countries.

Another study on the performance of 15 South American ports concluded that, in addition to investments in infrastructure, programs were needed to raise the quality and efficiency of the services provided.

Based on these results, CAF began the Puertos de Primera program which aims to improve the quality of port services. The program is backed by the Guarantee Seal model, which the Spanish port of Valencia has applied since 1995. Initially, the five Andean ports with the heaviest container traffic were selected: Cartagena and Buenaventura in Colombia; Guayaquil in Ecuador; El Callao in Peru; and Puerto Cabello in Venezuela.