Asean

ASEAN PORTS ASSOCIATION

BEST PRACTICES MANUAL ON
PORT OPERATIONS

The information contained in this document is solely for the use of the ASEAN Ports Association (APA) for the purpose for whichit was prepared. The APA Permanent Secretariat takes no responsibility for inaccurate or incomplete information that may have been submitted to it. The facts published indicate the result ofinquiries conducted and no warranty as to their accuracy is given by the APA Permanent Secretariat.

Published by the Permanent Secretariat of the ASEAN Ports Association, Philippine Ports Authority,Marsman Building, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila, Philippines

© 2003 APA Permanent Secretariat

FOREWORD

This reference material, one in a series of APA port practices manuals, is the fruitionof the collaborative efforts of the 25th APA Main Meeting held in 1999 in Bali, Indonesia. It is APA’s intent to draft a manual that would provide yardsticks on efficiency and productivity,particularly in cargo handling, pilotage and tug operations, as they are adopted and applied at specific areas of responsibility in APA member-ports.

Responses indicated on the customized surveyquestionnaire, which underwent several amendments to address identified survey lapses, served as groundworks in the preparation of the manual. A total of 42 respondent ports/terminals from the seven APAmember-countries, namely: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippine, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, took pains in providing the needed data inputs. The survey also focused on aspects of resource/logisticsmanagement such as port documentation, equipment, personnel, security, facilities and amenities besides port operational activities.

At hindsight, the survey returns did not yield any definitivestandards nor “hard and fast” rules on the “how-to” of quality port management and/or service delivery, taking into mind a singular ASEAN perspective. It has to be reckoned with that the touchstones of...