The Senari port operations suffered a computer system outage due to water damage.
KUCHING: The recent Senari Port computer system breakdown serves as a reminder to the government that they need to relook at the way they manage the major ports throughout Sarawak, said Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) director of political affairs (southern zone), Raymond Thong.
He added that port development needs to progress in tandem with the growth of the nation’s imports and exports as the economy expands, and ports play a very important role in the development of the maritime economy as well as the national economy.
“They serve as the crucial connection between sea and land transport for the country’s imports and exports. Ports form part of the critical supply chain and every effort should be made to ensure their smooth running.
“Upgrading the port’s handling equipment and machinery and software is important to the operations and efficient running of the port. The government should work to increase the efficiency and capacity of the ports in the state,” he pointed out in a statement here yesterday.
He added currently there are seven major free ports in Malaysia, with Bintulu Port the only one in Sarawak.
“Considering the size of Sarawak, the government should work towards having three more free ports beside the Bintulu Port; namely Senari Port, Tanjong Manis Port and Miri Port.
“The Sarawak government should start planning on these free ports early because it takes time to attract the right industries to set up their operations there,” he said.
This, he added, is also in anticipation of the government’s plan to open up more land for development for agriculture, plantations, mining and other purposes through the construction of the Second Trunk Road (STR).
“These ports should have the capacity to cater for the increasing volume of exports. Freeport is an area where goods in transit are exempt from customs duty. It is open to all traders, an area designated by the government to encourage economic activity, and companies operating within the free port can benefit from deferring the payment of taxes until their products are moved elsewhere or can avoid them altogether if they bring in goods to store or manufacture on site before exporting them again,” he said.
He explained that in order to attract investors to set up industries in a free port, the government must provide tax incentives, good living quarters, sufficient energy and water supply and link it to a good network of roads and railways.
“For the Senari Port, the government should attract new industries like silica and sand, ship repair and furniture manufacturing. Tanjong Manis Port can focus on fishery and marine industries, food and agriculture, furniture manufacturing, ship building and repairs. Miri Port can focus on oil and gas related industries, chemicals and fertiliser industries,” he said.
At the same time, he stressed that the government should also ensure that these free ports will be able to meet the continuing needs of land-short Singapore and the new Indonesian capital in East Kalimantan.
“Our free ports should form part of the supply chain for the industries in these two countries,” he said.
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