Stakeholders and Institutions in Port Management

Introduction

Ports are service-producing entities, with the most significant service being cargo handling. To comprehend the functioning of ports, it is essential to recognize other institutions and businesses within and around the port area. Rather than examining the services provided by ports in isolation, it is more appropriate to analyze them in conjunction with all stakeholders, distinguishing between those who demand services and those who provide them in the port area.

Stakeholders/Dock Users

1. Shippers and Consignees: Those who transport goods and load them at ports.
2. Shipowners, Charterers, and Ship Lessees: Owners, operators, and lessees of ships.
3. Ship Agents: Intermediaries responsible for fulfilling legal obligations related to ships and cargo processes.

Institutions and Organizations Generating Service Supply for Cargo and Ships in Port Areas and Vicinities

1. Commercial Service Providers: Businesses facilitating organized and prompt trade.
2. Terminal Operators: Entities operating ports and providing services to port users.
3. Stevedores (Loading/Unloading Contractors): Businesses responsible for cargo handling, which may be subcontracted by terminal operators.
4. Pilotage, Towage, and Mooring Operations: Organizations providing guidance services to incoming ships, ensuring safe berthing and departure. They also employ mooring workers who secure ships to docks and piers.
5. Logistics Service Providers: Businesses in port areas or hinterlands often acting as intermediaries between shippers and carriers, offering logistics services for a fee.
6. Ship Supply Businesses: Entities supplying provisions (food, beverages, etc.) and spare parts to ships. While drone supply experiments are ongoing, supply activities generally occur when the ship is at the dock.
7. Ship Fuel Suppliers: Businesses supplying fuel and oil to ships.
8. Ship Inspection Companies: Entities in port areas overseeing loading and unloading, providing services such as draft surveying, sampling, and counting in bulk cargo situations.
9. Container Supply Companies: Businesses supplying containers to container ship operators (or agents) to address imbalances in loaded and unloaded container quantities.
10. Ship Maintenance and Repair Operations: Businesses addressing defects or maintenance needs that do not require dry-docking, carried out within the port.

Other Relevant Institutions and Organizations

In addition to the key entities creating and demanding the main service in ports, there are also institutional control and mandatory service organizations, often authorized by the public sector. These include:

1. Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure
2. Port Authority
3. General Directorate of Customs Protection
4. Directorate General of Border and Coastal Health
5. Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Livestock
6. General Directorate of Coastal Safety
7. Coast Guard Command

Apart from these, there are institutions and organizations facilitating commercial transactions in port areas, including:

1. Brokerage Firms (acting as intermediaries for finding cargo for ships or ships for cargo for a commission)
2. Banks (providing services, especially in financial matters such as investment or acquisition financing)
3. Marine Insurers (insuring cargoes, ship hulls, and machinery)
4. P&I Clubs (Protecting & Indemnity Associations compensating for damages not covered by hull and machinery insurances)
5. Classification Societies (independent organizations inspecting and assessing ship quality and standards)
6. Unions (protecting the rights of seafarers and port workers)
7. Chambers of Maritime Commerce (promoting the development of the maritime industry and safeguarding members’ interests)
8. HR Agencies (facilitating personnel employment for port operations).

Port management involves a complex network of interactions between these stakeholders and institutions. Each plays a vital role in contributing to the efficient and safe operation of ports. Ports stand at the heart of goods transportation and trade, making collaboration and harmony among these stakeholders crucial for an effective logistics chain.