Welcome Rakan Sarawak April 2005

Rangkaian Khidmat Awam Negeri Sarawak

A MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF RAKAN SARAWAK BULLETIN

(People, events, activities and programmes which make for a total quality-managed Sarawak Civil Service)

ISSN 1394-5726

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Sarawak Inland Port in Tebedu Will Facilitate Trading at Tebedu-Entikong Border

The trade volume at the Tebedu -Entikong Crossing is expected to increase once the Sarawak’s first Inland Port in Tebedu starts operation in the next two years.

A RM20 million project, the Inland Port will be located on a 50 acre site not far from the Tebedu border post and the Kalimantan’s post. The site of the port is part of the 250 acres of land to be developed for the Light Industrial Estate by the Sarawak Ministry Of Industrial Development. The first stage of the project, which covers an area of about 150 acres is now 95% completed.

The Tebedu-Entikong crossing not only provides a strategic link between Sarawak and Kalimantan Barat but also functions as a gateway for Sarawak to the rest of Kalimantan and other regions of Indonesia.

The set up of the first Inland port hopes to take advantage of the healthy trading activities at the Tebedu-Entikong border. However, the current trade volume is limited by the current facilities in the area. It is therefore, very important for this gateway to be well organized and effective to facilitate fast and
efficient flow of cargo. The current trading volume between the state and Kalbar (Kalimantan Barat) is increasing each year since the Tebedu-Entikong
crossing was formally opened in 1st October 1989. “By general observation at the checking points and the number of cargoes going in and out, trading has increased at least five folds “, said Mdm Liew Moi Fong, General Manager of Kuching Port Authority. Although there are no official figures to support this claim, the observation is also made based on the custom figures but this may not be accurate, she explained.

The accurate figures can only be collected once the port starts operation as all trading activities will be required to be properly documented. Once completed, the inland port will provide facilities such as Cargo and Container Yard for cargoes transiting between borders, warehousing for loading/ unloading and packing/unpacking. It also provides storage yard premises and other facilities for storage, packaging and repackaging of cargoes by port users and other facilities for fast and secure transportation of goods from the inland port to the nearest port for shipment.

Border security will also will increased as the army will be stationed nearby and the police complex at the nearby Bandar Mutiara will also be up in operation. The existence of an inland port will hopefully spur the growth of Bandar Mutiara, a project by the Land Consolidation Development Authority (LCDA) to accelerate rural development in this border district. The development of the industrial area will further enhance this purpose as it provides a channel for bringing in raw materials as well as serve as an avenue to distribute the finished products to a broader international market.

It will also enable Kuching Port Authority to extend its market and facilitate industrial development that will maximize the use of cheap labour resources. The set up of the SMIP is an important development for the state as it would improve the level of infrastructure, amenities and facilities in the area. Sarawakians should also take full advantage of the Light Industrial Estate by using the opportunities to involve themselves in the manufacturing sector and at the same time provide employment for the Indonesian workers living nearby.

Due to the State’s prosperity, the cost of local labour is high thus making it advantageous to hire the cheaper labour and human resources from across the border.

Improved Level of Development in Tebedu

Kuching Port Authority has appointed SM Inland Port Sdn Bhd (SMIP) as the approved port operator of the inland port. The set up of SMIP will facilitate international trade especially on the usage of the Tebedu- Entikong crossing as an alternative point to transport cargo into and out of Kalimantan Barat.

Core Agencies Involved

Apart from the Kuching Port Authority which acts as the Regulatory Authority and SM Inland Port Sdn Bhd as the port operator, other core agencies/organizations that are involved in the operation of the port include Royal Malaysian Customs, Department of Agriculture, Immigration Department, Medical Department, Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation, Sarawak Planning Authority and Department of Environment.

The proposed types of services by SMIP include :

a. Containerised Cargo

b. Conventional Cargo

c. Timber (Sorting, Bundling and Marketing)

d. Storage and

e. Others (On-Dock Depot)

Tebedu is located about 100 km from Kuching while Entikong is situated approximately 370 km from Pontianak.