From April 1, the Ports Single Invoice (FUP, Fatura Única Portuária) begins its testing phase at the Port of Sines and subsequently in the Port of Leixões...
From April 1, the Ports Single Invoice (FUP, Fatura Única Portuária) begins its testing phase at the Port of Sines and subsequently in the Port of Leixões, in order to then be implemented in the remaining port infrastructures.
During the FUP presentation ceremony, which took place in Sines and was attended by the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Health and other high ranking personalities, the Minister of the Sea said that "this measure has obvious advantages for shipowners, with significant impact on reducing administrative and context costs, as well as relevant economic gains. An initiative that will lead to the direct reduction of the cost of ship's port of call, with estimated savings of about 600 thousand sheets of paper per year. "
The introduction of the FUP is part of the Simplex Programme for the Seas and aims to ensure that all amounts charged by the five authorities involved in the Departure Dispatch (Port Authority, Customs Authority, Maritime Authority, Health Authority and Immigration and Borders Service) can start to be billed by a single entity. Until now, only the amounts billed by the Port Authority were available in JUP - Janela Única Portuária, or Single Port Window, but starting in April this platform will integrate the corresponding invoices of all these authorities. Thus, instead there are five individual invoices, only one shall exist, which implies the port of call bill that the navigation agent makes for each vessel can arrive faster.
This means that the shipowner receives the bill faster and, in turn, the shipping agent receives its payment with the same speed. Then the invoice is sent to the port authority, which handles the distribution of the amounts to the respective authorities.
According to Ana Paula Vitorino "we will see significant savings in terms of time. It is an invoice that now shall be issued automatically within the JUP without different terms and also allowing for savings of different resources for the entities involved. On the other hand, it will allow the different entities involved in this process, for dispatching the ship, to establish partnerships in the future serving as a bridge for implementation, in the future, of the Logistics Single Window".
