ATI denies brokers’ claims of insufficient shipment slots

MANILA, Philippines - Private port operator Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) said it has enough slots to accommodate the processing of shipments in and out of Manila’s South Harbor, contrary to the complaints of some customs brokers.

Dominador Antonio Bustamante, ATI corporate communications manager, yesterday issued the statement after some customs brokers announced a three-day strike that began yesterday and would last until Dec. 18 to show their disappointment over the “inefficient” implementation of the Terminal Appointment Booking System (TABS).

Some brokers complained that they previously only had to wait from one to three days to move shipments. However, the period had allegedly dragged on to one week just to get a schedule from ATI.

“There are ample slots spread throughout the 24-hour period for the brokerage community to book transactions using TABS,” Bustamante said.

The ATI explained that TABS was designed to facilitate the smooth flow of shipments at the ports and as a solution to last year’s congestion. It also noted that since its implementation last Oct. 1, there have been a significant increase in truck transactions and positive response from major industry stakeholders and some customs brokers.

Bustamante cited a 14 percent increase in efficiency in early November and a 48 percent growth of transactions by the first week of December, adding that this is an indication that “the system works as envisioned.”

He added that ATI welcomes dialogue with concerned parties to address their issues.

“The ATI lines of communication are always open and we regularly reach out to all stakeholders, including importers and exporters, shippers, brokers and trucking communities,” he said.

He added they have even earlier agreed to do an actual onsite simulation with the stakeholders to further evaluate their other challenges.