Haulage companies have agreed to cease the application of the port-waiting surcharge of RM20 per container at Senari Port Terminal.
Hualiers Raise Persistence Congestion Issue at Senari Port
According to the Borneo Post, haulage companies have agreed to cease the application of the port-waiting surcharge of RM20 per container effective from 5th July at Senari Port Terminal.
Sarawak Forwarding Agencies Association (SFAA) Secretary-General Michael Jin explained that a meeting was recently held with major haulage companies to discuss the port-waiting surcharge and the difficulties they faced from the surcharge. This surcharge, he pointed out had been imposed by most hauliers since the end of April.
“The implementation of the port-waiting surcharge was due to the persistent congestion issue faced by the haulage companies at Senari Port, Kuching. They had been experiencing loss of revenue and increased costs due to long waiting times at the port. As a result, they were compelled to pass on some of these costs to its customers by way of the surcharge.”
During the meeting, the association said the haulage companies had also acknowledged the concerns raised by some customers regarding the surcharge. However, they informed the SFAA that the majority of the customers understood their plight and accepted the surcharge as a way to support their logistics partners.
Jin added that the decision by the haulage companies to cease the implementation of the surcharge did not indicate the issues had been resolved.
“The hauliers made it clear that the RM20 surcharge didn’t come close to covering their losses, but they agreed to withdraw its application as a gesture of goodwill in the hope that their plight will be followed up by the related government agencies.”
The related government agencies to become involved in the follow up include the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida), the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti), the Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development Sarawak (MIPD) and the Ministry of Transport, as well as stakeholders such as the Sarawak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), the Kuching Chinese General Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCGCCI), the Sarawak e-Commerce Association (SEGA), the Sarawak Manufacturers Association (SMA) and the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers.
Jin said the related agencies and stakeholders would have to act and oversee that the persistent port congestion and shortage of reliable port equipment will be resolved as soon as possible.
