Martins told delegates at the three-day conference, hosted by the SA Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa), that studies had shown "we could have greater efficiencies at our ports". According to The Citizen, as much as 98 percent of South Africa's international trade enters or exits the country by sea, through eight commercial ports: Saldanha Bay, Cape Town, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth, East London, Ngqura, Durban and Richard's Bay.
According to The Citizen, Martins said that the department had carried out a study in order to "formulate a strategy that will enable us to reduce the cost of doing business through our ports, as well as to reduce the turn-around times at our ports." The local maritime industry, he added, had to "play its rightful role in the SA economy."
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