The annual council meeting of the Ports Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) scheduled from 29 November to 2 December, is being held in Douala under the theme "the digitalization of ports, a model for port efficiency".

The opening ceremony was attended by the General Manager of the Cameroon National Shippers' Council, Mr. Auguste Mbappe Penda and other key actors of the port sector. The annual meeting was officially launched by the Director General of the Port Authority of Douala, Mr. Cyrus Ngo'o.

Previously held by teleconferencing due to the Covid-19 pandemic, participants at this year's annual meeting can either attend in person or via teleconferencing. This meeting, originally scheduled to take place in Luanda, is finally being held in Cameroon's coastal city, Douala.

A report published by the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) and the World Bank on the need to accelerate the digitalisation of ports inspired the choice of this year's theme which is centred on port digitalisation. A number of international organisations, among which the IMO, have proposed concrete actions to be implemented between States, operators of the logistics chain and port authorities. Quite a relevant subject for African ports which still face difficulties in meeting up with international standards.

In a bid to solve this problem, the PMACWA is looking for ways to connect African ports to reference international ports for a better digitalization of business activities.

Source: https://portsetcorridors.com/2021/agpaoc-digitalisation/