The final event of the Development and implementation of a system for electronic exchange of information in the Bulgarian ports (Port Community System – PCS) project took place in the presence of the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov and highly interested representatives of all industry organisations. The project was presented today at the Burgas Congress Center.

This is yet another big step towards the full implementation of the smart ports concept, made by the Bulgarian Port Infrastructure Company (BPI Co.). The project implementation has resulted in the provision of a digital system to assist all terminal operators in the handling of cargo at seaports. A standardised universal platform has been built to integrate existing national and regional systems into a single data exchange platform, thus modernising the import and export cargo processes in Bulgaria. This was explained by the Director General of the BPI Co., Dirk Pergott, during the closing event of the project.

"We now have a fully digitalized document processing at our seaports and paper is about to be completely abolished," the Transport and Communications Minister Georgi Gvozdeykov said during the event in Burgas.

"In the maritime business, digitalization is becoming ever more common in every process. It saves time, without neglecting the main factor – the human factor - on the contrary – it provides people with enormous opportunities," commented Anna Natova, Deputy Minister of Transport.

The main objective of the system is to optimize, manage and automate port and logistics processes, through the unified transmission of data, linking transport and logistics chains. BulPCS provides a wide variety of services, such as easy, fast and efficient information exchange, electronic processing of customs declarations and one-stop submission of all information on arrival, cargo handling and departure of ships.

Project No BG16M1OP001-4.002-0001 Development and implementation of a system for electronic exchange of information in the Bulgarian ports (Port Community System – PCS) was financed through Priority Axis 4 Innovations in Management and Services – implementation of modernized infrastructure for traffic management, improvement of transport safety and security of Operational Programme on Transport and Transport Infrastructure 2014 – 2020.