Westports, one of the two port operators at Port Klang, Malaysia, said it will again ask the Port Klang Authority (PKA) for permission to raise container tariffs after being told last year to wait until after the general elections.
CEO Ruben Emir Gnanalingam said a tariff hike was necessary to cope with operating costs that have been rising steadily over the years. The last time the multi-cargo port increased its tariffs was in 2002-2003.
The executive told local media that they have yet to submit a new tariff increase proposal. He added that they were unsure if the tariff hike would be approved and implemented this year, since they have to coordinate first with the PKA, the stakeholders, and Northport, the other terminal operator.
Meanwhile, the new CT7 container terminal at Westports is expected to be finished in the middle of the year and be fully functional by yearend. Gnanalingam said it will up the capacity of the port from the current 9.5 million standard containers a year to 11 million units annually.
The port operator invested about US$240 million in the project and placed orders for 50 cranes from Japan that are set to be delivered in batches this year.
The CT7 will increase the port’s container berth length to 4,600 meters, with a depth of 17.5 meters and seven new quay cranes that can process 18,000-TEU vessels.
Westports’ container volume is expected to grow by 5 percent to 10 percent this year from last year’s 7.4 million containers.
