Tariffs must be attractive to improve growth

By TIN Media | Sabah Published 3 years ago on 16 April 2020
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LABUAN :

It is imperative for Labuan Port tariffs to be "attractive" to improve the growth and transform the Island to become a transshipment hub, said the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Labuan (LCCC).

Datuk Wong Kii Yii, President of the Committee, said it would build and support an expanse of economic opportunities.

"As such, Labuan Megah Port Management Sdn Bhd (the current Labuan Liberty Port) operator will contact port users and obtain input on port-related issues.

"It is so that its choices are guided. It is true that in this field, the new operator is a new player," he says.

Wong commented on the latest port tariff on the website of the operator, which disclosed some additional costs, although the operator had assured that some charges would be removed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He recalled that when the port application was exercised, the Transport Minister then confirmed that no uncontrolled charges were required.

"Besides, we hoped that the charges would be lower than previously so that Labuan could be a center for commodities like the rice industry. Yet it doesn't seem as if the current situation does," Wong said.

The new operator will concentrate more on leveraging the full potential of the port such as Labuan's ideal location along the coast of Borneo and the existing deep-water port.

He states that even the US 7th Fleet once anchored the deepwater in Labuan, claiming that Brunei Bay Harbor is 36 feet deep.

He further suggested that the operator should use a conventional way to reach users via dialogs and inputs instead of uploading information from their website "so that we can jointly enable Labuan to become a free call port."

The management of Labuan Port is taken over by Megah Port Ownership Sdn Bhd on 2 April. Its main activities are focused on trade and the bunkering of inter-logistics Bhd.


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