DOF wants private sector to help build country’s ports
By: Rea Cu
THE Department of Finance (DOF) is urging the private sector to participate in more infrastructure projects aimed at improving the country’s ports and building more terminals around the country.
During a speech on Monday at the inauguration of Berth 2 of the Batangas Container Terminal (BCT), Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III encouraged Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI) and its shareholder Dubai’s DP World to participate in the infrastructure projects of the government.
“Thank you again to the proponents of this project, ATI and DP World. We hope this won’t be the last project you’ll have. There are many other ports to be modernized. There will be a new port in Consolacion, Cebu; there will be four ports in Mindanao. We look forward to your participation in those areas,” Dominguez said.
On Monday, the ATI unveiled the newly completed Berth 2 at the BCT with its improved crane capacity. This will enable the port facility to handle over 450,000 20-footer containers annually from its previous annual capacity of 300,000 20-footer-equivalent units.
Dominguez said a new passenger terminal within the BCT will also be completed by 2021.
BCT handles the growing trade volumes of the Calabarzon area, namely, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.
He said modernizing the ports in the country will open alternative gateways to enable trade with other countries in the region, and ease Manila’s port congestion that has long been the woe of investors.
Dominguez added that among the key goals of President Duterte’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program is to create economic opportunities outside Metro Manila. The BBB consists of 75 flagship projects aimed at improving the infrastructure of the Philippines.
In 2018, it was reported the government was eyeing to implement the Cebu International Container Port Project in Consolacion, Cebu, as well as the Davao Sasa Port Modernization Project for Mindanao, as it improves the country’s infrastructure backbone.
In line with ports, the Manila International Container Port (MICP) of the Bureau of Customs reported on Wednesday it breached its target revenue collections of P13.6 billion for April this year with actual collections reaching P13.822 billion, based on preliminary data.
MICP District Collector Erastus Sandino B. Austria thanked businesses and individuals who contributed their respective shares to the national coffer, helping ensure government projects are realized through their contributions.
Source: Business Mirror