S'pore port prepares for Asian trade boom
S'pore port prepares for Asian trade boom
SINGAPORE (AFP): The Port of Singapore Authority (PSA)
completed the construction of two new berths yesterday as it
moves to double its container-handling capacity to cope with a
rapid rise in Asian traffic.
Container throughput in the region is expected to double by
the year 2000 to reach some 120 million TEUs (twenty-foot-
equivalent units), Communications Minister Mah Bow Tan said in a
speech on the occasion.
The region's current share of the world container throughput
is about 48 percent and expected to increase to nearly 55 percent
by then, he said, adding that Southeast Asia alone was expected
to handle 20 percent of the increase.
Countries in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Thailand and
Indonesia, are developing and upgrading their ports to take
advantage of the boom in port business and to handle additional
container volumes.
"Like these other countries, Singapore is confident about the
prospects of the container business," Mah said.
"That is why we embarked on building the new container
terminal, which when completed will have the capacity to handle
36 million TEUs, more than twice the existing capacity of PSA,"
the minister said.
The PSA is the world's second busiest port for container
traffic after Hong Kong, serving as a transshipment hub between
Southeast Asia and the rest of the world.
The two berths completed yesterday are the first of 26 to be
built in the initial phase of development of the new container
terminal.
Mah said the new terminal would be equipped with the latest
facilities, including a fleet of new-generation remote-controlled
cranes which can handle the largest ships in the world.
"Better technology in every aspect of the port operations at
the new terminal will expedite operations with high accuracy and
reduced manpower requirements," Mah said.
He said increased reliability, shorter servicing time and
faster ship turnaround would lead to cost savings that would be
passed on to customers.