KUCHING: Samalaju Industrial Port Sdn Bhd (SIPSB) has awarded a RM23.42 million contract for maintenance dredging work to East Marine Works Sdn Bhd. The wholly-owned subsidiary of Bintulu Port Holdings Bhd (BPHB) has given notice to Selangor-based East Marine to commence works on Sept 17, 2019 until Feb 16,2020, BPHB said in a filing with Bursa Malaysia.
SIPSB is the operator of the Samalaju Industrial Port, which was specially built to handle cargoes for energy-intensive industries in Samalaju Industrial Park,Bintulu.
In second quarter to June 30,2019,Samalaju Port increased its revenue to RM28.87 million from RM23.78 million in 2Q2018 as it handled higher volume of cargo.
In first half 2019,the port’s revenue rose to RM54.92 million from RM49.5 million in 1H2018.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary to the federal government, Datuk Seri Ismail Bakar has been appointed the new BPHB chairman, taking over from Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa. Separately, Suria Capital Holdings Bhd said its wholly-owned Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd is looking into the application for the revision of its port tariffs.
This, said Suria Capital, is in line with the current operating environment, cater for the provision of new services and facilities and to comply with the latest port’s regulations.
“The submission of the proposal on port tariffs revision will have to go through the due process and eventually to the state’s authorities for approval,” the company added in clarification of a news report on “Suria Capital seeking tariff hike for Sabah Ports.”
Suria Capital chief financial officer Noorida Baharuddin was quoted by Bernama last week as saying that the company had submitted the application for port tariff revision to the Sabah government last month.
The proposed revision include container and general cargo tariffs. According to her,there is a provision in the privatisation agreement that allows Sabah Ports to apply for a revision of the port tariffs after five years into the concession period.
Sabah Port operates eight ports – Sapanger Bay Container Port,Sepangar Bay Oil Terminal,Kota Kinabalu Port, Sandakan Port, Tawau Port,Lahad Datu Port,Kunak Port and Kudat Port.
“Sabah Ports adopts existing applicable tariff that has remained largely unchanged since the original enactment of the Sabah Ports Authority (Scale of Dues and Charges) Regulations,1977.
“As the proposed scale and quantum of the proposed new port tariffs is subject to the approval of the state’s authorities,the timeline for implementatioin will only be announced when the final approval is obtained,” said Suria Capital.
