Modernización portuaria: Una pirámide de desafíos entrelazados

The course entitled Port Modernization: a pyramid of interrelated challenges seeks to encourage participants to analyse a series of factors affecting the administration and operation of ports. Its central aim is to generate a consensus among the port community on the need to restructure the port system. The course is divided into three modules:

I. Structural changes: this module analyses structural changes in markets, services, technologies and the legal framework, which are affecting trade and port activities. The products that pass through ports must compete in the global economy, and port services have to reflect international levels of productivity and cost. In that sense, port operations need to be optimized and carried out in an integrated fashion so as to become systems. The move towards 'systems optimi-zation' provides a global, as opposed to a fragmentary view of port activities in the logistic and physical distribution chain.II. Private-sector participation: The initiative for private-sector participation in public-sector ports usually arises from one or more of the following factors: competition from other ports, or competition between customers; Government political platforms; public outcry against high port charges; low productivity; theft and unavailability of the merchandise. Any entity providing port facilities and services should operate in a commercial environment governed by market mecha-nisms. Governments should adopt a legal regime combining deregulation and decentralization with antimonopoly laws and specific legislation defining private-sector participation.

III. Market-based port labour reform: the main aims of the reform are to expose the labour sector to market mechanisms so as to increase the speed with which workers respond to market signals, to their own benefit as well as that of users and private terminal operators. To achieve this goal, Governments need to de-regulate and decentralize the commercial environment and collective bargaining in ports. Government participation in port activities should be confined to setting up a regulatory regime and dispute settlement systems, adopting antimonopoly laws to prevent abuses by private terminal operators or unions, redefining the concept of social equity to guarantee compensation to workers for acquired rights, early retirement and training.

The results of structural changes, private-sector participation and labour reform will be: i)operational, because they will attract new investments, foster specializa-tion and improve productivity and competitiveness both within ports and between them; ii) economic, because efficient ports foment increased trade and, directly or indirectly, job creation; political, because Governments' commercial activities in ports, along with the chances of pressure groups abusing governmental powers, will be reduced, and iv) social, because they will facilitate co-operation between dock workers and private terminal operators, thereby ensuring more effective fulfilment of commercial and social goals.