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The
government is expected to commission
soon the first major national
transport study that is expected to
provide specific recommendations to
coordinate the development of the
transport sector in the country.
The
move to commission the study is also
seen as consistent with the
increasing importance now accorded
by the government to the development
of the services sector, including
the strong emphasis on regional and
international posturing of port and
aviation services.
According
to the recent Bank Negara report,
the growth of services sector has
taken over as the engine of growth
over-shadowing the manufacturing
sector that fuelled the growth of
the economy in the last quarter of
century.
According
to well-placed sources, tenders are
now being invited from pre-qualified
local consultants to submit
proposals to undertaken the study
that is expected to cost RM3-5
million.
At
least three local consulting firms
have been pre-qualified to submit
their bid for the study which is
expected to take about a year to
complete.
The
study, which will be the first to be
carried out in the last quarter of a
century, will be commissioned by the
National Economic Action Council in
the Prime Minister’s Department
(rather than the Ministry of
Transport) - a development which
industry sources feel reflects the
urgency and importance of the study.
It
is understood the major thrust of
the study will be to provide a
framework that spells out specific
national policy objectives, targets
and priorities for the development
of the transport sector.
The
study will cover maritime
transportation, including port
development as well as transport
services covering aviation, road,
rail and urban transportation.
The
modal balance in the development of
the transport services in the
country is seen as crucial to ensure
efficient utilization of resources
as well as to take into account
current trends in integrated
transportation, distribution and
logistics.
The
role of public and private sectors
in the development of transport
services and system will be another
area of interest, especially in the
light of significant progress made
in privatization of transport
services in the country.
Interest
in the study is also expected to
center on its findings on the need
for a central transport regulatory
agency for the sector with influence
or control over tariff and
regulatory matters.
It
has been widely felt that a central
transport regulatory agency, with
separate divisions for ports,
aviation and surface transportation
sectors could be more practical and
efficient that creating regulatory
agencies for various sub-sectors of
the industry.
In
the light of the fact that the
development of the transport sector
in the country has been carried out
in a vacuum and in an ad hoc manner,
the findings of the proposed study
will be eagerly awaited by the
industry.
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