The cost of developing the central database of the Malaysia Maritime Single Window (MMSW) will be borne by the port authorities, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
Loke said the development of the MMSW, which is expected to be about RM20 million, is in line with the need for speed in business, and the MMSW system is expected to solve issues such as clearance for cargo going in and out of the country.
“Delay in the release of cargo is a cost to traders,” he said in a press conference after launching the Global Shippers Roundtable.
The roundtable session was themed “Navigating the Waves of Unpredictability: Building Shippers’ Resilience for the Next Normal”.
The minister said all International Maritime Organization (IMO) member states are required to develop their MMSW by Jan 1, 2024, to enable all information needed by public authorities in connection with the arrival, stay and departure of ships, people, and cargo to be transmitted in an electronic system.
“With the MMSW implementation, we aim to fulfil the obligation to the IMO and help increase the efficiency of the ports.
“We hope this will help reduce bureaucracy, increase the effectiveness of our ports, cut down operational time and lighten the cost burden for shippers,” Loke said.
Earlier, the minister said that the port operators in the country had to deal with 12 agencies before ships could dock, including the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, the Immigration Department, the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department and the port authorities.
He said the MMSW system would be implemented first at the Klang and Johor ports by the fourth quarter of the year.