BPA Holds Business Consultation Meeting with Domestic Shipping Companies Using Busan Port

Busan Port Authority (BPA) held a business consultation meeting on the 9th at its headquarters conference room, inviting the Busan branch managers of domestic shipping companies using Busan Port.

The meeting focused on agenda items proposed by the shipping companies regarding the operation and use of Busan Port, including the current status of safety management at Busan Port following the enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act.

Based on their on-site experience, the shipping companies suggested supplementary measures to strengthen safety in port operations. In particular, considering the unique working environment of the port, they pointed out the shortage of safety inspectors at Busan Port, who are currently assigned by the government as only one person, and expressed hope that additional inspectors would be permanently assigned to Bukhang, Sinhang, and Gamcheon Port.

BPA stated that it will further enhance safety based on organic cooperation among port stakeholders such as shipping companies and stevedores, taking into account the opinions of the shipping companies.

The Business Council of National Shipping Companies Using Busan Port is currently in progress.

Additionally, the shipping companies proposed that the port should be operated based on long-term measures to improve port inefficiencies caused by the presence of multiple operators.

In response, BPA replied that it is continuously striving to improve port efficiency, starting with the activation of the current Transshipment System (TSS) and, in the long term, establishing an integrated operator system, and will continue to make further efforts.

Furthermore, all parties agreed that the port service industry, including inspection services, is facing an increasingly severe labor shortage, and that competitiveness in the port service industry must be enhanced through continuous public-private cooperation. They also discussed overall matters related to the operation of Busan Port, such as the creation of an eco-friendly port and the system for collecting port facility usage fees.

Hong Seong-jun, BPA’s Vice President of Operations, said, “The opinions of the shipping companies regarding the use of Busan Port serve as important guidelines for the development of Busan Port,” and added, “We will strive to reflect the shipping companies’ opinions in the development of Busan Port by listening to them not only during business consultation meetings but also on an ongoing basis.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.