Indian container information portal to go live Friday

Indian container information portal to go live Friday An ambitious plan to link port users nationwide through an electronic online portal will commence on Friday, according to a report in the Economic Times Wednesday.
   Cochin port chairman N Ramachandran told the newspaper that the so-called Port Community System will come online, linking the country's 12 major national trust ports.
   The idea behind PCS is to provide a single platform for everyone from truckers, container freight stations, carriers, shippers and terminal operators to access information about the movement of containers through Indian ports. Just as significantly, the system will link government regulatory and compliance agencies, with the idea that shipments will pass customs clearances more quickly.
   The registrant-driven system, a program initiated by India's Ministry of Shipping and the Indian Ports Association, will allow secure data to be shared, the agencies said.
   But there will inevitably be hiccups as the system is streamlined, and Ramachandran said once all the major ports get SAP-based ERP systems, only then will the system achieve its desired effect.