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Investments in utilities like
telecommunications, electricity or
ports not only require large outlays
but have a longer gestation period
and also need to be planned very
much ahead in order to ensure an
uninterrupted high level of services
to the customers.
Adopting this widely accepted and
prudent rule in port investment
strategy, Northport (Malaysia) Bhd,
has committed its surpluses to
expanding and enhancing its capacity
and capability to keep ahead of
demand.
The port operating company, which
demonstrated its strong financial
resilience once again last year with
a profit before tax rising to RM97.9
million, is now seeing through the
coming on stream of one of its
largest expansion plans it has
carried out since the port was
privatized 17 years ago.
This involves the development of a
dedicated container terminal (CT3)
at a cost of about RM400 million
that is expected to increase the
port's capacity by about million
TEUs and bring the total at the port
to more than 3 million TEUs.
Developed entirely through its
internally-generated funds, the new
container terminal that has been
phased in for use beginning last
month, adds another 356 metre of
quayline and several units of super
post panamax shoreside cranes and an
array of related shoreside
equipment.
"As a major port in the region, it
is incumbent upon us to offer an
internationally-accepted high level
of service to our customers and this
comes from a deep sense of
commitment to invest to keep ahead
of demand as well as in meeting the
rapidly changing user-expectations
or requirements," said the managing
director of NMB, Basheer Abdul
Kadeer.
Reflecting on the improved financial
performance of the company, Basheer
said, Northport, as a company that
has relied on internally-generated
funds for investments, ploughs back
much of the profit for investments
in physical infrastructure,
equipment and enhancing the IT
environment at the port.
Apart from development of CT3, the
port has also undertaken investments
in improving landside operations,
notable in developing a wider range
of web-based application system.
A major revamp is now underway at
the port to bring about greater
integration in its IT and e-commerce
environment led by a foreign
consultant.
Basheer said through a prudent
management policy, including one
that places strong emphasis on
productivity and efficiency,
Northport, would continue to focus
on customer-retention.
"In this regard, we therefore owe it
as a duty to our customers to invest
continually by setting aside
adequate funds from our surpluses,"
he said.
Basheer added return on investments
in ports can be very long but it was
imperative that outlays are made
well ahead if customers are to enjoy
a sustained and a consistently high
level of service.
"What we pride most at Northport is
that we are not only able to offer a
high level of service that is in par
with world ports, but more
relevantly to our customers, a
consistent level of service," he
said.
The consistency and reliability of
the service at Northport has been
widely acclaimed and become the
hallmark of the port compared with
spurts of record-breaking
performance hyped up by other ports.
The importance shipping lines attach
to consistency and reliability is
perhaps best reflected in the range
and number of shipping calling at
the port.
Northport is the home to the largest
concentration of shipping lines at
any port in Malaysia and is hence
linked to more ports worldwide than
any other port in the country. |
