PMO Port Affairs Director: IPAS and TMS Systems Being Developed as the Country's Two Main Operational Port Systems

Mohammad Mohsen Salimipour, in a meeting reviewing the operational systems of Bushehr Port, held with the presence of the Deputy Directors for Port Affairs of Shahid Rajaee, Imam Khomeini, Khorramshahr, and Bushehr ports, while expressing appreciation for the efforts of the Bushehr Province Ports and Maritime Directorate in designing and launching indigenous systems, stated: "The implementation of comprehensive systems in ports requires coordination and cooperation among all sectors, and the Ports and Maritime Organization is striving to design and implement these systems in a way that meets the needs of the operators."

Requirement for Cargo Receiving Companies to Use IPAS

Referring to the necessity of investors and companies active in the field of cargo receiving to use the Integrated Port Operations System, he added: "All companies operating as receivers in port affairs must, in addition to holding maritime and port brokerage licenses in their field of activity, use the IPAS and TMS systems."

The Director General of Port Affairs of the Ports and Maritime Organization continued: "In addition to using the system, these companies must also obtain a license to operate as a broker from the Ports and Maritime Organization, and it is necessary that the use of the IPAS system be operationalized in all the country's ports within a specified period."

Emphasizing the necessity of creating a unified mechanism for the activity of port stakeholders, Salimipour said: "The goal is that all entities that in some way play a role in port activities — whether investors or licensed operating companies — can connect to the system and conduct their affairs through the Integrated Port Operations System."

Launch of the TMS Comprehensive Traffic System

He then referred to the launch of the comprehensive traffic system "TMS," stating: "This system was designed and launched by the colleagues of the Bushehr Province Ports and Maritime Directorate and is now being used as the comprehensive traffic system of the Ports and Maritime Organization."

The Director General of Port Affairs of the Ports and Maritime Organization expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Director General of Ports and Maritime of Bushehr Province and the deputies and experts of this entity for designing and developing the TMS system, adding: "This system is an indigenous initiative and the result of the efforts of the Ports and Maritime Organization's colleagues, which has managed to reach an acceptable stage of maturity and operation."

Identity Verification and Traffic Control

Stating that the TMS system has also been developed in the field of the movement of individuals and vehicles, Salimipour said: "The issue of identity verification and identification of individuals and traffic control has been implemented in this system, and the tests conducted at the Ports and Maritime Organization have also demonstrated its proper performance."

He added: "The comprehensive traffic system has been approved by the Ports and Maritime Organization's security department, and alongside controlling the movement of individuals, the development of the section related to truck traffic is also on the agenda."

The Director General of Port Affairs of the Ports and Maritime Organization emphasized the necessity of connection and information exchange between operational systems, saying: "One cannot create an independent system for each part of port activities and expect operations to be carried out in an integrated manner from start to finish."

Salimipour added: "Information related to trucks, cargo, and entry and exit from the port must be made available to the relevant systems from the time of arrival notification until the end of the traffic process and the completion of operations, and this matter requires proper information exchange between the port operations system and the comprehensive traffic system."

He stated: "The IPAS system, as the Integrated Port Operations System, and the TMS system, as the country's comprehensive traffic system, are the two main operational systems of the ports, and they must exchange information with one another in such a way that parallel work and repetitive activities are prevented."

Bushehr Ports Director Calls for Smartening

Siavash Arjmandzadeh, the Director General of Ports and Maritime of Bushehr Province, also welcomed the attendees and emphasized the necessity of automating and mechanizing port processes.

Referring to the measures taken at Bushehr Port in the field of smartening activities, he stated: "To accelerate the implementation of smartening programs in ports, it is essential that an institution or center be established within the central organization to manage various issues related to smartening, including the formulation of a roadmap and financial matters."

Arjmandzadeh added: "This institution, by utilizing specialized forces and experienced experts, can provide the groundwork for streamlining and integrating systems and accelerating the implementation of port smartening programs."