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Total volume of cargo handled at the ports
operated and managed by Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd
posted impressive growth inn the first half of
this year compared with the same period last
year.
The seven ports operated by Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd
handled 14.2 million tones of cargo in the first
six months 2007 compared with 13 million tones
in the corresponding period of last year.
The group managing director of Suria Capital
Holdings Berhad, Datuk Haji Abu Bakar bin Haji
Abas said container traffic in the same period
posted a commendable 20.56 per cent growth
totaling 129,000 TEUs (for the full year in 2006
the port handled 226,700 TEUs).
Abu Bakar said the growth reflected the growth
prospects of Sabah ports.
“The favorable performance of the port
operations and bunkering segment produced more
than 100 per cent growth in turnover for the
first half of this year,” he said.
The group’s turnover grew by 101 per cent
totaling RM146.0 million in the first half of
this year as compared with RM79.23 million in
the corresponding period of previous year.
PBT rose from 34.96 per cent to RM38.34 million
compared with RM28.41 million during the period
under review.
The Group’s profit for the current quarter and
financial period to-date recognized taxation
refund of RM32.4 million for investment
allowance tax incentive under Schedule 7B of the ITA 1967 (Approved Service Project) granted by
Ministry of Finance with retrospective effect.
Commenting on the hitches in the newly-opened
RM500 million Sapangar Bay Container terminal
(which resulted in shifting all container
handling operations from Kota Kinabalu port to
the new facility in June 2007), Abu Bakar said
there are some teething problem.
“We are sorting the problems and will ensure
that the container terminal operations at the
new facility runs smoothly soon. We are
confident that the Sapangar Bay Container
Terminal will emerge as an important gateway and
transhipment hub port serving beyond the needs
of the state with an extended outreach covering
the BIMP-EAGA region,” he said.
He said the newly-developed 500 metre Sapangar
Bay Container Port would be able to attract more
of the bigger container vessels not only for
Sabah and East Malaysia but also transhipment
containers to and from North Asia as well as
Indo-China and the Indian Sub-Continent.
In fact, port is already being used for
transhipment containers for Indo-China and the
Indian Sub-Continent.
Abu Bakar also said the port has continuously
made various efforts to improve the port
performance and productivity since taken over
the seven ports facility in the state.
The board recently approved another RM781
million for infrastructure development and
purchase of equipment at the other port
facilities under the jurisdiction of Sabah
Ports.
Of the allocation RM449.13 million will be spent
on the purchase of equipment and another
RM331.92 million for the improvements of port
infrastructure facilities.
Suria Capital is also looking at opportunities
to expand.
“We expect with the the expansion of the palm
oil industry, under the Palm Oil Industrial
Cluster (POIC) initiatives will would be able to
contribute towards the growth of the industry by
developing capabilities in the handling of palm
oil products through the port facilities, said
Abu Bakar.
Work on the new oil jetty to accommodate 45,000
dwt size ships at the Kunak port is well
underway.
Abu Bakar said the terminal would be completed
by end of this year to handle CPO, refined oil
and palm kernel meals. |
