THE cargo-handling equipment installed at the North Harbor by new operator Manila North Harbour Port, Inc (MNHPI) still does not warrant a turnover, according to local carriers.
“The new facilities being put in place are not even suitable for carriers’ operations,” according to a Philippine Liner Shipping Association (PLSA) official who requested anonymity.
In addition, some carriers from whom MNHPI leases out some of its equipment are “not renewing their monthly lease agreement and will instead relocate to other port of operations,” the official explained.
MNHPI has equipment lease agreements with Negros Navigation and Oceanic but the equipment are for the sole use of the two carriers.
“Until MNHPI puts in the required equipment, the carriers will not agree to the turnover,” the official added.
A February inventory by the Philippine Ports Authority showed MNHPI fell short of the type and number of equipment required under its 25-year management and operation contract.
Under the contract, MNHPI is also required to maintain a gross productivity rate equal to or higher than the minimum requirement on a per hour basis in the loading and unloading of vessel cargo – for container traffic using ship gear, the requirement is 6 boxes per hour; using ship shore crane, 20 boxes per hour; and using ramp, 30 boxes per hour.
For non-containerized cargo, the minimum requirement is 13 metric tons per hour when using ship gear and 30 metric tons when using ramp.In its first three years of operation under MNHPI, North Harbor is expected to breach the 1 million-TEU mark from only 800,000 TEUs annually and handle about 2.5 million passengers or more than half its current capacity.
