Mr. Jose Matheickal, Chief of Department of Partnerships and Projects, International Maritime Organisation,
Mr William Gain, Global Product Specialist for Trade Facilitation and Border Management, World Bank Group,
Mr. Julian Abril, Head of Facilitation Section, International Maritime Organisation,
Mr. Jarle Hauge, Principal Engineer, Norwegian Coastal Administration,
Esteemed Experts from Antigua and Barbuda,
CEOs of Fiji Ports Corporation Ltd and Fiji Ports Terminal Ltd,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Bula Vinaka, and a very good morning to you all.
It is a pleasure to welcome you all to today’s Maritime Single Window induction Webinar.
I take this opportunity to acknowledge the World Bank and International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for introducing this initiative to Fiji and for offering their technical expertise and support in this area.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today’s Webinar is especially designed to have a better understanding of the capabilities of the Maritime Single Window, and its benefits of increasing efficiency of our maritime trade and transport services.
These objectives align to our international commitments with the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement and the IMO’s Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention).
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Fiji has ratified both these instruments. and the rationale is clear. These agreements, largely deal with facilitation of procedures across all modes of transport, identify bottlenecks to trade and promote solutions.
Our interest in a Maritime Single Window is the digitalisation of our maritime world. We want to reduce administrative burden and make cross-border trade simpler and the logistics chain more efficient.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
With 80 percent of global merchandise trade dependent on the maritime sector, access for Small Island Developing (SIDS), like Fiji, to the global marketplace becomes critical.
Fiji’s reliance on maritime trade is even higher than the global average. Close to 90% of our trade is contingent on maritime transport. We rely on shipping to transport goods internationally and domestically. Sea links also provide vital access to the global marketplace, thus, when disruptions such as COVID-19 pandemic occur, our supply chains are severely constrained.
We have all experienced the impact of shifting global supply chains even before the pandemic. But what COVID-19 has done is accelerate the pace of change. Businesses are re-assessing their operations, and deciding where to locate various parts of the production to enhance resilience and mitigate trade barriers.
According to an article by the World Economic Forum published in April 2021, the pandemic has led to the increase in cost of shipping by 350 percent, since May 2020. The Small Island Developing States that are isolated and face the tyranny of distance – are disproportionately affected. Exporters in Fiji, for example, apart from being burdened with escalating costs, also face shortage of shipping containers and space.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
These challenges provide all the more reason for our systems and processes at the border (and the maritime sector) to be efficient and cost and time effective for our exporters and importers.
The silver lining is — we have opportunities. Opportunities we may not have given prominence. Digital revolution and new technologies are transforming the way we live, work and play.
As global forces continue to fuel complexities in supply chains, businesses will place greater trust and effort in reliability and flexibility. That’s the nature of adaptability.
This is why we need to continually review our policies, to move in tandem with industry needs and adopt new technology and new ways of doing business. We need to seize these opportunities to stay ahead of the competition. The Maritime Single Window offers this opportunity.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to see the level of participation in this Webinar. Most of you would recall the Single Window Visioning Workshop that was facilitated by the World Bank in 2018. That project is on-going and progressing well.
The Maritime Single Window, that will be discussed here, could be a vital component to our National Single Window initiative being successful.
Ladies and Gentlemen
Efficient trade facilitation and expansion of our regional trading hub status is a key strategic goal in our National Development Plan. Achieving an expanded and diversified trade base and securing our position as a regional transportation and trade hub will require a multi stakeholder effort.
Apart from this national effort, support from agencies like the IMO and the World Bank and our partner countries like Antigua and Barbuda and Norway is vital.
Through this Webinar, we hope to make our Maritime and trade processes more resilient and responsive to the current needs and challenges, in line with our national vision.
With these few words, I look forward to working, sharing, and learning more from all of you in today’s Webinar.
I thank you once again. Vinaka Vakalevu.