VPT adjudged as one of top ports

Visakhapatnam: The port of Visakhapatnam is adjudged as one of the three-top performing major ports in the country.  VPT was placed in the ‘good’ category of performance, along with JNPT and Kamarajar ports.  The performance is measured in the form of Port Performance Index.

The Port Performance Index benchmarking the performance of major ports in the country was introduced as part of study conducted by Dun and Bradstreet for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The performance index is developed by combining qualitative perception of stakeholders, including customer satisfaction, with quantitative outcomes like cargo volumes and physical efficiency. 

As a part of the study, feedback on both qualitative and quantitative aspects of business transactions at ports from 700 respondents of pan India comprising government officials, trade associations, exporter, importers, cargo handling agents and freight forwarders are taken into consideration. 
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman VPT MT Krishnababu expressed happiness on the achievement and expressed gratitude to all the stakeholders for their excellent feedback on the performance of the port.

The port has been taking multi-pronged initiatives with a view to provide cost effective services with specific focus on continual improvement in customer satisfaction and to enhance status of Ease of Doing Business, he added. 

“Provision of online submission of documents through Web enabled ERP module – Port Operations System (POS), Integration of Port Community System with POS and ICEGATE for seamless fast track transaction platform, full-fledged ERP system with e-Payment module, implementation of e-Tendering and e-Procurement procedures, implementation of e-Office, fully automated container terminal with automatic tracking guided by NAVIS software, implementation of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification system) at five gates”,  he pointed out.

“Establishment of dedicated Business Development Team to undertake regular visits to the customers premises to elicit their requirements, regular interaction with the stakeholders to resolve issues at different levels, business process re-engineering to facilitate fast track operations with minuscule documentation, a truck parking terminal is developed with all the amenities that can accommodate 200 trucks, pre-gate survey is carried out at the truck parking terminal to facilitate direct entry of trucks into the container terminal without any hassles and providing adequate space within port area for setting up of offices and laboratories,” the Chairman said.