Dayak Chamber asked to explore port businesses, emulate Kadazandusun Chamber

KUCHING (July 1): The Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has been asked to explore port businesses in Sarawak.

In making the call, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the state’s five ports will come under a single central port authority with the formation of the Sarawak Ports Authority.

He said currently the five port authorities act as both operators and regulators, and are run like government departments.

“Times have changed. Ports have become a critical catalyst to ensure that we will be able to meet our Post Covid-19 Development Goals.

“As such, the Sarawak Ports Authority was formed, which will be the regulator of all five ports in Sarawak. While we are transitioning into this, the port authorities will be corporatised so that they can become the operator and no longer the regulator.

“All regulations will go into a single port authority,” the Minister for Infrastructure and Port Development said in his keynote speech at the Gawai Kaamatan Business Forum 2024 here today.

Uggah said there are many opportunities in port businesses ranging from shipping, port operations, and management, as well as the inland facilities.

As such, he called on DCCI to learn more from the Kadazandusun Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on how to get into the business.

During the event, Uggah also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between DCCI and KCCI.

The MoU seeks to strengthen and develop the collaboration between the two parties’ respective vendors in the oil and gas industry as well as any related industries.

DCCI president Datuk Alan Keripin Nangkai and KCCI president Datuk Ladislaus Maluda signed the MoU.