Provision Of Replacement Terminal Operating System - Portsmouth International Port

During the course of 2020 the UK Government announced additional Border Control Measures that would be required by UK ports from 2021, referred to as the 'Border Operating Model' (BOM). The BOM, placed requirements on ports and terminals to adapt their operating models, infrastructure and systems so that they can comply with the new requirements that will apply post 2300hrs 31st December 2020, once the BREXIT transition period has concluded. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have instructed UK Ports that the new systems and solutions must be fully in place by the 1st July 2021. The new operating system is needed to meet the requirements of the UK Governments new Border Operating Model (BOM), which are to be in place by 1st July 2021. These requirements must include, but are not be limited to: • Electronic interfacing with the Customs Inventory systems (Inventory Linking) to ensure compliance required to obtain a Port Temporary Storage approval from the Customs National Frontiers Unit (NFAU). • Electronic messaging and data transfer for operating the new customs Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS). • Ability to ensure goods that are subject to Customs procedure are not released to the public domain whilst not cleared from a customs process. • Integrations with ferry company manifests and booking systems. The system will be the primary software used for record keeping, planning, control and monitoring for the management of freight units throughout the port estate from the point of arriving at the port either by road or vessel, until the freight unit leaves again either by road or vessel. To comply with the BOM requirements, the Port is establishing a Border Control Post (BCP). The BCP will be operated on behalf of the Port by a separate provider Portico (BCP Service Provider) under contract. Portico operate a deep water cargo terminal which neighbours the Port and are uniquely placed to offer the required services on an operationally effective and economical basis. The solution will must integrate seamlessly to the BCP service provider's software system which can only really be achieved effectively via both parties using the same system especially within the timeframe for system implementation and launch which has been placed upon the Port by UK Government. The BCP service provider currently uses the COPAS system provided by the Supplier and has no intention of reviewing these arrangements at present, hence the Port's decision to enter into contract via direct award to the Supplier to ensure system compatibility. It should also be noted that even if Portico were not the appointed BCP service provider the Port would still need to ensure system compatibility with Portico which can only be effectively achieved via purchase of the COPAS system due to: • As mandated by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) any unit being requested to transfer from the Port to the BCP for an inspection must have a full audit trail of the journey from leaving the Port to arriving and then leaving the BCP Facility. This is to ensure that any contaminated consignment does not make its way into the normal food chain. All units whether accompanied or unaccompanied will have to travel across the Portico site to attend the BCP facility and therefore will have to be shown within Portico's own system which is the COPAS system, otherwise a gap in the audit trail will occur and effective tracking of the unit is significantly compromised. • Units will also need to be logged onto the Portico system for security purposes as Portico's site is covered by ISPS (International Ship and Port Facility Security Code). As well as for health and safety reasons. • Portico hold a 30 year lease of the land in question and the Port and wider Council has no ability to force Portico to change their current operating systems, therefore any system the Port uses must seamlessly integrate with Portico's systems. • To retain the Port's current trade levels, the Port requires 'Temporary Storage Approval' to allow existing channel island traffic to continue. To gain Temporary Storage Approval the Port requires Inventory Linking. To allow unaccompanied units arriving from the EU to pass through a Temporary Storage area inventory linking is also required. To be inventory linked our systems need to integrate with a community service provider (CSP). • The current CSP used by Condor (a key Port customer) and Portico is CNS. Therefore the Port's systems need to link to CNS. The COPAS system already includes for integration to CNS. Changing to a different CSP would cause cost and inconvenience to Portcio and Condor who would be under no legally binding obligation to facilitate the required integration. The introduction of the COPAS system will help to safeguard the Port's existing and future freight income streams, which currently amount to approximately £3.9 million per annum. Without this passenger and tonnage income may also be put at risk. If freight were not carried some routes may become uneconomic for operators and therefore cease.