KUCHING: A new cargo complex will be built in the near future at KIA to facilitate better movement of imports and exports, said Assistant Transport Minister Datuk Dr Jerip Susil today.
At present, the cargo terminals are far less than satisfactory as they hamper the growth of the movement of the imports and exports, said Dr Jerip.
Three cargo terminals here, namely Raya Airways, MASKargo and PosAviation, were yesterday visited by Dr Jerip together with personnel from the State Customs Department.
He stated that the present cargo warehouses are aged 35 years and majority of the facilities are very much outdated.
“We recognise that the cargo capacity of Kuching International Airport is increasing therefore, the cargo capacity and agencies make a very important contribution to the economy of the state and to the income of the airport,” he said in a meeting yesterday.
Dr Jerip said the export and import will be affected in the long run as there will be a lot of constrains in terms of the ability to export our items and also the people who are bringing in goods to the state.
With the problem of inadequate space at the current and outdated cargo warehouses, a cargo complex similar with the KLIA will be constructed in the near future to extend the spaces needed by the cargo agencies and to help house more goods coming in for them, he stated.
“With the current cargo warehouses, it is also a problem for cargo trucks carrying goods entering and exiting as it affects the traffic flow for the trucks to come in and out from the warehouses.
“So with the construction of the cargo complex in the future, the traffic flow for the cargo trucks will be much easier and calm,” Dr Jerip said.
Apart from that, he stated the cargo complex will be a whole new building with new facilities, parking areas, loading and unloading bays and the customs clearance will be there along with the three cargo agencies.
“The new building will be built within the airport area (of 43 acres) and it will be facing the airport and will be nearby the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba),” he added.
Meanwhile MAHB Senior Airport Manager Ir Jun Iskandar Murshidi told the dialogue that the consultant for the proposed new cargo complex would be appointed by July.
He said once the preliminary studies had been done, MAHB would call all stakeholders to give their input on the facilities that needed to be put in place at the new complex.
“This is part of the redevelopment of KIA, with bigger space and better cargo handling facilities,” said Jun, who did not reveal the cost of the project.
According to Jun, MAHB handled 26,816 metric tonnes of cargo last year compared to 24,620 metric tonnes in 2017 and 22,500 in 2016 – an increase of about nine per cent year to year.
Meanwhile, Customs Deputy Director Herman Shah said they welcomed the construction of the complex, adding that they were currently working in a limited space and they also needed better facilities to cope with the increasing volume of cargo.
SFAA vice-president David Chieng said more than 400 forwarding agencies in the state needed a bigger cargo terminal with better facilities.
“The facilities at the present cargo terminal are already outdated,” he said, adding that their members needed more parking spaces at the terminal for loading and unloading of cargo.
“We have forwarded our grievances to MAHB for the past two or three years but only slight improvements were made. We really hope that more facilities are put in place so that the terminal becomes more vibrant.”
