Azerbaijan sets up centre to manage transit cargo movement operations

Azerbaijan has created a single centre for the management of transit cargo transportation.

The relevant decision was made at a meeting of the country’s Coordinating Council for Transit Cargo Transportation in Baku on July 22, which was chaired by the minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev, the ministry’s press service told Caliber.Az.

The main goal of the headquarters is to simplify and computerise the procedures carried out at border checkpoints, improve the processes of synchronous planning and manage transit operations by a single dispatcher. The centre representing the country’s interests will monitor the operations and regularly submit reports to the secretariat of the Coordinating Council.

To promptly solve the problems of consignors during transit, a "Call Centre" will be created at the centre. At the same time, “Procedural Rules for the Management of Transit Cargo Operations” on operations carried out on the territory of the Baku International Sea Terminal were signed at the meeting. The document regulates the processes of cargo handling, the sequence of operations, and documentation of deadlines. It was decided that a similar document would be adopted at other border checkpoints.

As a result of research by local and foreign experts, a Transit Road Map was drawn up. This map defines short-term, medium-term and long-term goals for the full disclosure of Azerbaijan's transit potential.

From January to June 2022, transit cargo transportation in the East-West direction (excluding shipments via pipelines) compared to the same period of 2021 increased by 325,000 tons or 15 per cent, amounting to 2.5 million tons. Meanwhile, such operations in the North-West direction (excluding shipments via pipelines) rose by 873,000 tons or 205 per cent in annual terms, having reached 1.3 million tons.

In the first half of this year, the transportation of oil of Turkmen origin through the BTC oil pipeline increased by 746,000 tons (155 per cent) on annual basis and amounted to 1.2 million tons.

In the meantime, the export of oil products (in particular, oil products of Kazakhstani origin) by rail in the direction of Yalama - Boyuk Kesik increased by 772,000 tons (an increase of 707 per cent) compared to the same period last year and amounted to 900,000 tons.

At the meeting, the participants shared views on a dynamic tariff policy for the railway to ensure the flow of goods through Azerbaijan.

The Coordinating Council for Transit Cargo Transportation of Azerbaijan is a collegial executive body established to ensure the attraction of transit cargoes to the transport corridors passing through the territory of the country and their transportation with high quality.