Bunkering Panama 2014, towards better competitiveness

Vukelja: “An important added value for the maritime and logistics industry.”

In announcing the 5th Panama Bunkering Forum 2014, to be held next month, the president of the Organizing Committee, Nicholas Vukelja Duque said the event focuses on improving the country’s competitiveness in this activity. He said this event “constitutes an important added value to the maritime and logistics sector in Panama.”

Panama Maritime Authority logoLike previous versions, the 5th Panama Bunkering Forum is organized by the Bunkering Committee of the Panama Chamber of Shipping, chaired by Vukelja Duque and backed by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) and the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP).

Announcing that everything is ready for the celebration of this event, Vukelja Duque explained that the first goal of the event is to integrate all the actors of the bunkering industry (shipping agencies and service providers), and together present the problems of the sector to government authorities.

“This action,” he said, “would be to track the results of the 2013 Forum, which concluded on the need for the government to design new schemes to optimize the business potential of bunkering,” which like other sectors, such as ports and the Free Zone, is being affected by the global crisis.

“With a newly installed government, there is a need for it to know of this effect,” he said.

With proper integration and coordination of efforts, Vukelja Duque said that in Panama it would be feasible to recover much of the ground lost since the early 70’s to again occupy the third place in global sales of bunker fuel.

According to figures from the Panama Maritime Authority, in 2013 Panama sold just over 21.2 million barrels of marine fuel, equivalent to about 3.1 million tonnes. “This volume will expand if Panama can improve its competitiveness,” said Vukelja.

In the last version of the forum, Panama Canal Authority administrator, Jorge L. Quijano warned that the imminent Canal expansion would create the need to reengineer the maritime business in order to increase its competitiveness and become global class.

Vukelja Duque explained the expanded Canal will reduce the waiting time for ships transiting the Panamanian route and will cause service providers to be more efficient while offering optimal quality fuel.

The 2014 version of the Bunkering Forum will offer participants the opportunity to attend conferences by authorities in the field, present their products and services in the exhibition space and participate in a training course.

Among the speakers on the first day will be officials from the ACP and the Panama Maritime Authorit and economists and experts from the private sector.

The themes of the conference have been evaluated and discussed by the Panama Bunkering’s Organizing Committee, comprising professionals from various maritime sectors, including: Javier Ortiz, Gilberto Perez and Mario Inka from Terminal Oil; Harry Quinn, Ralph Smith and Susana Salazar, representing barge operators; Patricia Velasquez and Jorge Sugar, representing the inspection sector and Carlos Moreno and Hermel Rodriguez, for shipping agencies and service providers.

Bunkering Panama 2014 will conclude on Wednesday, October 22 with a training course entitled “Introduction to Bunkering,” which will provide participants with comprehensive information on the key activity for maritime transport and future trends. The form of the training began in March 2014, with a participation of over 100 people. It will be dictated by the managers of the companies that provide bunkering services in Panama. The course will focus on companies and individuals of all maritime activities and for those interested in learning the business of bunkering.

Less than a month before the event, the Organizing Committee has more than 80 sponsors and 20 exhibition stands. In enrollment, more than 300 people are expected to attend over the two days of the Forum.
Source: Panama Bunkering