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Palestinian Shippers' Council (PSC). An impetus for trade expansion. Majdi Haj Khalil General Manager. Mission. To represent and protect the interests of Palestinian shippers (importers and exporters) and industries in their dealings with:
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Palestinian Shippers' Council (PSC) An impetus for trade expansion • Majdi Haj Khalil • General Manager
Mission • To represent and protect the interests of Palestinian shippers (importers and exporters) and industries in their dealings with: • transport services providers (shipping companies and agents, forwarders, customs brokers, inland transportation, handling, warehouse operators) • relevant government authorities • To ensure synergy among donor funded projects and initiatives targeting the Palestinian shipping sector.
Vision To be a state-of-the-art institution turned to realities on the ground, responding to the needs of its members and representing their interests, and working towards facilitating, diversifying and expanding Palestinian trade. This includes upgrading trade-related infrastructures and promoting a coordinated and coherent approach to trade facilitation.
Services • Collective negotiations with service providers to obtain competitive rates and favorable conditions and achieve savings for Palestinian shippers. • Cooperation arrangements with regional and international shippers' associations to support efforts to widen and diversify Palestinian import sources and export markets. • Advisory services to assist members in their dealings with relevant authorities, and in adhering to international best practices • Up-to-date information on port and border crossing regulations, activity, charges and conditions for Palestinian shippers.
Services • Tailor-made services to ensure responsiveness to members' needs, including contacts, representations and other interventions to reduce transport and transit related bottlenecks. • Direct assistance to Palestinian shippers in their dealings with transport and related service providers. • Study tours to countries with relevant experience and willingness to assist PSC, and receiving international experts and delegates from regional and international shippers' councils to develop and promote trade with Palestine.
Services • Training workshops to: • provide Palestinian shippers with a comprehensive understanding of the different aspects, processes and stages of import/export transactions; • familiarize Palestinian shippers with relevant trade information systems, such as the ASYCUDA Palestine user input facilities; • ensure that Palestinian shippers are well placed to overcome logistical and technical problems.
Membership • The PSC boasts a constantly growing membership, consisting of shippers and traders from across the Palestinian territory. • During the first nine months, PSC members increased from 17 to 173 members, representing different sectors and regions and virtually linked through the Council's website at: www.psc.ps.
Achievements • The establishment of PSC headquarters in the West Bank and Regional office in Gaza. • The launching of a quarterly newsletter and the PSC institutional website (www.psc.ps) that is updated on a regular basis. • The establishment of working relations with relevant local, regional as well as international private and public organizations. • Attending to the shipping community's emerging needs: • With an authorisation by the PA, PSC restored the annual quota for Palestinian imports of milk (1000 tons), as specified in the Paris Protocol, following contacts with the Israeli Ministry of Trade and Industry. • the PSC succeeded in securing extra free storage days for Palestinian goods from Israeli ports. • The PSC succeeded in reducing the costs associated with renting storage areas at the main borders between Gaza and Israel.
Achievements • The dissemination of trade related information to members. • The organization of training workshops in the West Bank and Gaza. • The PSC has adopted a demand-driven approach to services development. This has involved using the membership form as a tool for ascertaining the problems facing Palestinian shippers. The results of this exercise will be complemented by a needs assessment survey that will be conducted with the support of UNCTAD experts. The results of the survey will be used as a reference framework for guiding decisions on PSC services.
ICT related plans • Design a database on customs tariff duties and regulations integrated into the PSC information and dissemination network. • Design an information and dissemination network on port and border crossing regulations, activities, charges and conditions for PSC members. • Training workshops for members and Palestinian shippers on relevant ICT solutions for addressing bottlenecks at the enterprise level as well as those aimed at facilitating trade (e.g. ASYCUDA).
ICT related plans • Design a system of indicators for monitoring actual cross border trade performance (e.g. number inbound and outbound shipment, their origin and destination etc.), and market access conditions provided for Palestinian traders (e.g. average passage time). The system will be designed in consultation with relevant donors funded projects on trade facilitation. • Establish a joint PSC-ASYCUDA data base on Palestinian shippers (their profiles, export-import activities, etc...).
ICT related plans • Link the PSC with the European Virtual Help Desk, which provides up-to-date information on the EU's trade-related procedures and regulations, as well as addresses of potential buyers and suppliers. • Link the PSC with the ICC database, which provides up-to-date information on international trade-related procedures and regulations and export-import opportunities.
