PORT KLANG: Westports Holdings Bhd (Westports) has completed the first phase of its Container Terminal 8 (CT8) expansion and is on track towards its full completion in 2017.
Total investments for the CT8 project is at RM1.05 billion, with the cost of the first phase estimated at half of that.
Construction of the second container terminal gate has also been completed and was officiated this afternoon by Minister of International Trade and Industries, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.
"I am pleased to see the progress of the CT8 and Westports has also said that they are on track to complete this project in the estimated time by 2017," he said at the officiation, today.
"I was also notified that Westports is also in the midst of finalising its investments and planning for Container Terminal 9 (CT9), details of which will be announced at a later date."
It is learnt that total investments for the CT9 project is at RM2 billion. Westports has yet to finalise when to start the project.
Mustapa went on to say that Westports' expansion plan is in line with the government's five years Logistics and Trade Facilitation Masterplan (2015-2020), which seek to elevate Malaysia to be the "Preferred Logistics Gateway to Asia" by 2020 and beyond.
"We will do this by focusing on five strategic shifts which include strengthening the institutional and regulatory framework; by enhancing trade facilitation; by internationalising logistics services; by developing infrastructure and freight demand while also strengthening human capital," he said.
It is estimated that the successful implementation of the masterplan will increase cargo volume to 880 million tonnes with an annual growth of eight per cent in 2020 and beyond.
Meanwhile, the full completion of the CT8 expansion would extend Westports contiguous linear berth to 5.2 km.
The expanded and enhanced facilities would also allow Westports to accommodate more effectively the growing requirements of new and larger container shipping alliances in 2017.
Its completion will also reinforce Westports as a pre-eminent regional transhipment hub while accommodating Malaysia's growing economic, import and export requirements.