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MANILA
International Container Terminal (MICT) won’t ask for a
new round of rate increase from the government despite
recent advances in the cost of fuel and labor wages.
Christian Gonzalez, MICT general manager and vice
president of International Container Terminal Services
Inc., said the container-terminal operators will stick
to its two-tranche plan of increasing its fees—the first
was put in place at the start of 2008.
“Our
priority right now is our service level and we are not
considering filing a new increase and will go through
with the earlier approved hike,” Gonzalez said.
“Our
clients should get the value of their money back after
we implemented a hike earlier this year,” he added.
Philippine Ports Authority, the agency that owns the
port and functions as regulator, has approved a
12-percent total increase. Of this, 5 percent took
effect early this year. The next increase is scheduled
for the early part of 2009.
The
increases also cover the fees charged by Asian Terminal
Inc.’s Manila South Harbor, MICT’s competitor in
container handling.
“However, the decision to hike rates will depend on how
things happen, but as of now, no rate increase and we
will make do with our existing rates,” Gonzalez added.
MICT,
flagship terminal of ICTSI, can afford not to charge
higher fees for at least another year. Its officials
expect the facility to reach peak capacity of 1.6
million 20-footer containers this year after three
successive years of sluggish growth.
As of
August, MICT has handled 900,000 twenty-foot equivalent
units (TEUs) and is on target to surpass its cargo
volume last year.
ICTSI is
also expanding the MICT facility after volume reached
1.37 million TEUs, or about 63 percent of the total
international container traffic at the Port of Manila in
2007.
The
company is constructing its Berth 6, which is expected
to handle 500,000 TEUs more.
ICTSI is
investing about P4.5 billion for MICT’s Berth 6 and has
has secured an incentive from the Board of Investments.
After
its expansion, MICT would remain the biggest container
terminal of ICTSI compared with its facilities
worldwide. Its terminal in China is the second-largest
with a handling capacity of 1 million TEUs, followed by
its port in Syria with a capacity of 900,000 TEUs.
The
company earlier said it will start importing equipment
in June for its Berth 6. Construction will continue
until 2009 and commercial operation will start in 2010.
The
project is intended to expand berth capacity as well as
cement wharf to meet the high demand placed by container
traffic in the port.
ICTSI
will service the container cargo of post- panamax class
vessels of up to 85,000 deadweight tons. The wharf is
designed to support the rail-mounted postpanamax
container cranes and five 12-meter draft berthing slots.
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