Updating of the Port Physical and Environmental Management Plan (POFPA)

In the context of the National Port Policy, the National Government has identified challenges in the Colombian port sector. These include challenges in governance, efficiency in the use of resources and for the development of economic activities, shortcomings in the methodology of port charges, lack of coordination between planning instruments and outdated regulatory instruments related to ports. 

To face these challenges, the Transport Infrastructure Planning Unit (UPIT), with the support of other public entities in the sector, is advancing the strategy of developing an update to the Port Physical and Environmental Management Plan (POFPA), which has not been updated since 2008. This plan aims to be a flexible, robust, and open planning tool to facilitate timely decisions in port planning in the country. 

Steer, in collaboration with Serman Saenz and project engineering partners through a Joint Venture, is carrying out the technical study for the update of the POFPA. This project is part of a comprehensive effort to strengthen the management of transport infrastructure planning in Colombia and is expected to contribute to the implementation of effective public policy actions for the port sector. 

To date, the project team has made progress in the characterisation stage. Twenty-two port companies have been visited in various regions of the country, working groups have been held with 13 local institutions and seven national entities, and the analysis of information provided by 22 public entities linked to port management and operation at the national level has been consolidated.  

                 Puerto de Cartagena, Colombia

The project's development has involved overcoming several challenges, such as the coordination with multiple actors and sectors involved, the management and consolidation of a large volume of information, and the analysis from different scales of integrated information. In addition, technical discussions have been held with the government teams involved. 

It is expected that the formulation of the POFPA will be delivered by August 2024 and that the country can have this instrument updated and coordinated with the sector's planning framework so that the objectives of strengthening port management and operation in the country can be achieved.