KUCHING, Sept 5 ― Four ports under the authority of the state government are in the plans for upgrading, to be equipped with modern technology to boost the import and export industry in the state, said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
To pave the way for the works, he said the government may have to re-look at its Port Authority Ordinance.
“What I am saying is that we are consolidating the Sarawak ports, that means there are areas that we have to look into our ordinance (Port Ordinance) in order to meet the demand of the modern port.
“(For instance) port facilities. Because now people go for containerization and modern managing of ports, so we have to look at it,” he told reporters after delivering a keynote address at the Sarawak Export Day 2019, here, today.
The four ports are Kuching Port, Tanjung Manis Port, Miri Port and Rajang Port.
Asked to comment on his speech earlier in which he mentioned that the state government was also looking into building a specialised industrial terminal to promote the petro-chemical industry, Abang Johari said the terminal was still in the planning stage.
This includes whether it will be built in the existing ports or not, he said.
Abang Johari said the state government is committed to constantly upgrade and build new facilities to assist trade growth and promote local entrepreneurs to the global market.
This was also reflected by the recent cabinet reshuffle in which the International Trade and E-Commerce portfolio was re-designated as the International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminals and Entrepreneur Development, among others to give extra focus to these areas, he said.
Apart from improving infrastructure to facilitate business growth domestically, in making Sarawak a trading state, he said the state government had opened up a trade office in Singapore and planned to open up more offices including in Pontianak, Indonesia, and Bandar Sri Begawan, Brunei, soon. ― Bernama
