A single goal

Queues and paperwork may soon be a thing of the past for shippers in Dubai.

If Mahmood Al Bastaki’s wish comes true, all trade transactions in Dubai will one day occur online. As Director of Dubai Trade, Al Bastaki oversees the portal described as a single sign on, single window channel to the online services of DP World, Dubai Customs, Economic Zones World, and Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority. Users can register documents and activitiessuch as free zone licenses, manifest and cargo handling services, cargo clearance and haulage, invoicing and payments, and electronic warehouse receipts. “Our main goal is to provide a single window for trade,” he says.

His team has made major headway with the portal since he joined the organisation in December 2006. “For DP World, all the containerised cargo services are now on the Dubai Trade portal,” he says. “For bulk cargo, everything is still off-line, but the exact services that are offered for containerised cargo will soon be added for bulk cargo. We are trying to complete the cycle.”

Last year, Dubai Trade added a highly- popular e-payment gateway to the cycle. The site called ‘Rosoom’ allows DP World and Jafza clients to pay for charges such as customs duties, handling charges and administrative services through the web. Customers can pay with credit card, direct debit, or through online banking with a selection of banks. The programme has already proved a success, with DP World-based transactions alone totalling more than more than 97 million dirhams (US$26.4 million) between April 2008 and April 2009. “Meanwhile, we are adding more services to be paid online,” says Al Bastaki.

Developing the portal seems to be a never-ending process, with constant updates and audits. “In the next year, Dubai Trade will be looking at the untouched areas of trade facilitation,” he says. “For example, we will aim for the insurance of cargo to be transacted online. We will also be looking at other parts of trade finance, where letters of credit are issued online.” He also hints at a future strategic alliance with the Roads & Transport Authority for online sharing of vehicle information, as well
as the Department of Economic Development which handles licenses for nonfree
trade zone businesses.

Dubai Trade also faces the challenge of educating potential users about its offerings. “In some trading communities, e-literacy is not high,” says Al Bastaki. “We have to really walk them through and tell them how to use our services. Truck drivers, for example, are very difficult to convince; but surprisingly some of them are even using
our e-services now.”