Digitalisation is one of the key foundational stones for the reconstruction and modernisation of the Port of Beirut operations, a new report has found.
The World Bank’s ‘Reforming and Rebuilding Lebanon’s Port Sector: Policies and Solutions for Digitalizing the Port of Beirut’ outlines key principles for the design and implementation of digital trade solutions at the port, following the chemical explosions which destroyed large parts of it in August.
“Rapidly evolving technology is creating the digital ports of the future and Lebanon should not be left out,” said Saroj Kumar Jha, World Bank Mashreq regional director. “Through an all stakeholder approach, Lebanon should immediately enact special port institutional framework to reform the port sector and to launch transformation process towards a structured and systematic technological upgrade of the port of Beirut to support Lebanon’s economic recovery.”
What will digitalisation offer?
The report argues that digitalisation of the Port of Beirut will generate positive spillover effects on the Lebanese economy. Its implementation will reinforce anti-corruption practices and increase people’s trust in government organisations.
It will also help reduce trade costs and bureaucracy, enabling more small and medium enterprises to participate in international trade.
Port digitalisation makes movements of hazardous substances more transparent and permits identification of dangerous levels or cases of combined storage. It also improves the efficiency, effectiveness and predictability of logistics services.
Finally, digitalisation will improve regulatory oversight and decision making via the analysis of big data and the generation of new key performance indicators and business intelligence.
Three-pillar plan
The report proposes a digitisation action plan comprised of three pillars. The first is the institutional pillar which aims to strengthen the Lebanese digital enabling environment and entails reforms in the legislative and operational framework towards trade facilitation, improved border compliance, and adequate national digital infrastructure.
