SINGAPORE AS MAIN PORT OF CALL (Competition)

Column No : 1812

SINGAPORE AS MAIN PORT OF CALL:

(Competition): 17.

Mr Andy Gan Lai Chiang asked the Minister for Transport whether Singapore is still the main port of call despite competition from ports in neighbouring countries.

Mrs Lim Hwee Hua (for the Minister for Transport): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am pleased to inform Members that the Singapore port has continued to perform well in the first nine months of 2005. Shipping tonnage is up 10.1%, cargo throughput up 8.8%, and bunker sales up 9.2% compared to the same period last year. 2004 itself was a record year for the Singapore port. In 2004, total tonnage crossed the one-billion tonne mark for the first time to reach 1.04 billion gross tonnes, and we maintained our position as the world’s top bunkering port with a record 23.5 million tonnes of bunker supplied.

Notably, with more than 17 million TEUs of containers handled in the first nine months of this year, we are likely to overtake Hong Kong to become the world’s busiest container port this year. At 9.8%, our container throughput growth was higher than the growth rates of 2.1% and 4.2% recorded by the Hong Kong port and Malaysia’s Port Klang respectively for the same period. It also compares favourably with the Port of Tanjung Pelepas’ announced growth rate of 3.4% for the first half of this year.

Nevertheless, competition remains keen, with regional neighbours competing hard to increase their share of the container transhipment business. PSA and Jurong Port will continue to upgrade their facilities and improve their efficiency and cost structure to meet the needs of their customers. We are therefore confident that we will remain the port of choice in the region.