Minister Robert Nkili on Thursday May 8 chaired a “Port-Synthèse” meeting in Limbe.

The indispensable role of the ports sector in Cameroon’s economy has received encomiums from the Minister of Transport, Professor Robert Nkili who was in Limbe on Thursday May 8, 2014 to chair a platform of stakeholders involved in diverse activities at the Douala Port. These include loading and off-loading of cargo containers, warehousing activities and the handling of different export and import procedures, amongst others.

Meeting under the canopy of “Port-Synthèse”, Minister Robert Nkili recalled the major strides so far made since the Tripartite Forum in Yaounde in 2012 that brought together actors from Chad, the Central African Republic and Cameroon who diagnosed problems to ease the passage of goods at the Douala Port; and another forum held in Kribi in 2012 on the International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS) that was put in place in July 2004.

Minister Robet Nkili recalled that thanks to the dynamism of “Port-Synthèse” whose membership includes stakeholders from neigbouring countries, traffic has practically tripled over the past 20 years, and clocked more than 10 million tons in 2013. He called for an increase in membership, prescribed innovations to better face the challenges in the maritime sector while taking into consideration the yet-to-be developed ports of Kribi and Limbe.

Speaking to the press, the General Manager of the Autonomous Port of Douala and President of “Port-Synthèse” Etoundi Oyono Emmanuel said for the Port to be competitive, there is need to have state-of-the-art equipment like cranes, tugs and pilot boats that can load and off-load ships at record time.

Addressing stakeholders during the extra-ordinary general assembly meeting, Etoundi Oyono Emmanuel pegged on the challenges confronting the sector notably the unenviable economic climate in 2013 and measures taken to ameliorate working conditions, ensure security and enhance efficiency and competitiveness. He disclosed that in 2013, manifests registered the arrival of some 3,000 ships at the Autonomous Port of Douala.

During the May 8 to 9 get together, constructive exchanges allowed participants to decry the difficulties still encountered in the maritime outlet which plays a major role in foreign trade with landlocked countries. They called for a reduction of port charges which to them is still excessively high and the putting in place of a new system to finance the activities of “Port-Synthèse”.

It should be recalled that the strategic position of the Port of Douala is a blessing to landlocked countries like Chad and the Central African Republic whose foreign maritime trade must pass through Cameroon.