UPGRADING OF PORT FACILITIES (Engagement of foreign consultants)

Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for Trade and Industry why it is necessary for the Jurong Town Corporation to engage foreign consultants to upgrade its port facilities when expertise is available locally.

Mr Hon Sui Sen (Acting Minister for Trade and Industry): The foreign consultants, engaged by the Jurong Town Corporation, are here to provide advice on specialised dry bulk cargo handling equipment and not on the general upgrading of JTC's port facilities.

To explain why these experts are necessary, let me describe briefly the operations of Jurong port. Jurong port specialises in the handling of dry bulk cargo like cement clinker, raw sugar, industrial chemicals, grain and scrap iron. These raw materials are used by industries located in the Jurong industrial estate. The volume of such dry bulk cargo which passes through Jurong port has increased from 50,000 tonnes in 1968 to 3.6 million tonnes in 1981 and is expected to grow further.

Jurong port at present has ten large bulk cargo unloaders connected to a system of conveyor belts. Most of the existing equipment at the port were installed more than 12 years ago. JTC is now upgrading some of the equipment and also purchasing new equipment to expand the handling capacity of Jurong port.

The foreign consultants engaged by JTC are specialists in their field and have been responsible for the planning of some of the world's largest dry bulk cargo handling ports. Their advice will help Jurong port to maintain a high level of efficiency in the handling of its dry bulk cargo operations.

In the operations of Jurong Port and in planning for its expansion, JTC works closely with the Port of Singapore Authority and it is only when local expertise in a particular field is not available, that JTC has to resort to engaging foreign expertise.