Monday April 27, 2009
Penang Port to go big in barter trade
By DAVID TAN

THE Penang Port Commission (PPC) wants to expand barter-trading activities and bunkering services at the Prai wharf, which will be included in the port’s new 20-year master plan.

The expansion of these activities, which had received the green light from the Transport Ministry, would stimulate economic activities and create job opportunities in the state, PPC chairman Tan Cheng Liang told StarBiz.

She said PPC would go on a roadshow in June in the Asean region to promote the state’s barter-trading activities and bunkering services.

Penang Port’s new master plan is aimed at upgrading the port to meet the needs of a globalised economy.

“Presently, Penang’s barter-trading activities are with Indonesia and Myanmar. We want to expand these activities to other Asean countries,” she said.

The value of cargo handled through the Prai wharf for barter trading with Indonesia and Myanmar improved to RM139mil in 2008 from RM104mil in 2007.

The freight weight tonnage of cargo handled at Prai wharf has increased to 78,748 tonnes from 66,219 tonnes during the same period.

The cargo traded involves mainly steam coal, rubber, urea, sawn timber, marine products, steam-dried fish meal, marine gas oil, and sugar.

“This improvement in value and tonnage is very encouraging and shows that further growth in barter trading activities is achievable,” Tan said.

She also said PPC hoped to rope in private investments for tourism projects to be set up on a piece of land belonging to PPC at the waterfront in Weld Quay.

“We intend to do this after the expansion of Port Swettenham Pier to accommodate cruises with more than 3,000 passengers is completed in September,” she said.

Tan said the tourism projects would also be incorporated into Penang Port’s new 20-year master plan.

»We want to expand barter-trading activities to other Asean countries«TAN CHENG LIANG

She added that the terms and references for the master plan were now being formulated.

“The new plan is aimed at upgrading the port to meet the needs of a globalised economy, one that is not only focused on serving the needs of the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle,” she said.

Tan said PPC was also now conducting an analysis on the strength and weaknesses of the present 20-year master plan that would expire next year.

“We are looking at why certain projects under the plan were delayed,” she added.