According to the current legislation on State Owned Ports, Port Authorities are Public bodies of legal entity and own resources, and with full proceeding powers. They will be governed by their specific legislation, by the applicable provisions of the national budget law, and additionally by Act 6/1997, dated 14 April, dealing with the organisation and operation of the state administration.

The bodies that control the operation of the Port Authority of Cartagena are:

• Governing bodies: Board of Directors and President.
• Management body: Director.
• Assistance body: Navigation and Port Board.

• Rendering of general port services, authorisation and control of the main port services to carry them out in optimal conditions of efficiency, economy, productivity and security, without prejudice to the competition of other port authorities.
• Arrangement of the port service area and port uses.
• Planning, project, construction, maintenance and operation of port works and services and maritime signals.
• Management of port public property and maritime signals.
• Optimisation of the economic management and profitability of ports' capital resources.
• Promote the industrial and commercial activities related to shipping or port traffic.
• Co-ordination of operations of the different modes of transport in the port area.

• Approve the operation budget, the Port Authoritys' capital and its pluriannual proceeding programme.
• Manage general port services and maritime signalling, authorise and control main port services, operations and activities needing authorisation or concession.
• Co-ordination of the bodies and entities carrying out activities in the port area.
• Planning of the uses of the port service area and of its development.
• Devising of the special plans of the port service area arrangement.
• Planning and construction of the works included in the plans and programmes.
• Technical approval of investment projects included in the plans.
• Devising of the port police regulation.
• Supervise, in the port area, the fulfilment of the regulation concerning the admission, handling and storage of dangerous cargoes, as well as the fulfilment of the obligations related to the activities provided in Art. 24 of the Labour Risk Prevention Law 31/1995, as well as the security and fire-prevention systems without prejudice to the responsibilities of other public authority bodies and specifically the sanctioning ones due to labour regulation infraction.
• Freedom of approval, application and collection of the rates for the commercial services rendered.
• Granting of authorisations and concessions, and hiring of port services.
• Collection of rates applied to granted authorisations and concessions, supervise the fulfilment of the provisions and conditions, apply the sanctioning regime and take the necessary measures to protect and manage appropriately the port public property.
• Development of reports and researches as well as staff training, in subjects related to port activity and environmental protection.
• Inspection of maritime signals' operation.

The Port Authority of Cartagena has two governing bodies: The Board of Directors and the Presidency. The person in charge of the direct administration and who is involved in both parties is the Direction.

Under this Direction, the Port Authority is structured in a series of Departments and Divisions:

• Infrastructure and Public Works Area, is in charge of the most technical aspect, such as the execution and management of the equipment and facility works, being responsible for everything related to the management, administrative procedures, carrying out and control of all the investments included in the Investment Programme of the Port Authority, and for anything that is not the responsibility of other Departments or Divisions, such as the General Secretariat or the Economic-financial Department. It has the following Divisions:
  • Works Control Division: Administrative procedure of the projects and works and management of the archive, technical library and photographic file of the works.
  • Technical Office Division: Technical support works related to the projects and works of the Investment Plan.
• Conservation and Maintenance Department, under the direct dependence of the Infrastructure and Public Works Area, it is in charge of the preventive and corrective maintenance of the port facilities and equipment, and control of supplies, material purchases, acquisitions, provisions and warehouses.
• Planning, Operation and Port Services Department, responsible for the efficient running of the port operations and of the direct relationship with clients. Among its responsibilities include dock and staff assignment, storage areas, service supplies to the ships of the different companies operating in the port, security control in the port, as well as the service area management. It includes the following Divisions:
  • Public Domain Division: Responsible for all the administration related to concessions and authorisations.
  • Port Operations Division: Berth and handling equipment assignment, surveillance services.
  • Security and Environment Division: Interior Emergency Plan, labour risks prevention, applications for dangerous goods admission and any matter related to the Port Security and Environment.
  • Planning Division: Management and Special Plans, studies related to the port planning.
• Economic-Financial Department, faces all the questions related to the financial and accounting management of the company. It has an Accounting and Tax Management Unit and the Corporations' Resources and Financial Resources Unit.
• Commercial Department, in charge of carrying out all of the tasks related to Marketing, Customer Service, Public Relations, Communication and Image. The Quality Headquarters also depends on it.
• Information Systems and Management Control Department, responsible for the perfect functioning of all the computer systems, essential for the efficient running of the port.
• Staff and Human Resources Department, handles all the matters related to the working staff rendering their services in the Port Authority.
• General Secretariat, not only in charge of answering all legal needs, but also of fulfilling the management of the General Registration and Archive.