The City of Cape Town (CoCT) says private sector participation in the port could contribute an extra R6 billion in exports, create 20 000 jobs and generate more than R1.6 billion in additional tax over five years.
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This is according to the latest data findings presented by the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism after an announcement that the Port of Durban will be partly owned and operated by the Philippines’ International Container Terminal Services.
This is a first for parastatal Transnet, Engineering News reports. The City’s MMC for economic growth, James Vos, says the development in Durban opens the door for exciting innovations in Cape Town’s harbour. ‘Cape Town is now even more determined than before to achieve the same for our port, and I will be calling for an urgent meeting with the Ministers of Public Enterprises and Trade and Industry to discuss this.
‘We have willing partners to start working towards private-sector participation in our port. We need to get the economic cluster in a room to talk business. We have no time to waste, given the economic impact of our poorly run port. The door has been opened for Durban – now we want the same for Cape Town.’
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During a presentation in June, Transnet revealed to the Western Cape standing committee on finance, economic opportunities and tourism that the Cape Town container terminal is underequipped as only 16 rubber tyre gantries were available to move cargo on and off ships. This, while the optimal number is 39.
There has also been a notable decline in the Port of Cape Town’s performance across several indicators, says the CoCT, noting that weather has had some role to play.
The waiting time for vessels at anchor averaged 4.6 days versus the target of one day since the beginning of June. Furthermore, vessel turnaround time averaged 8.7 days compared to the four-day target, and truck turnaround time averaged 64.5 minutes versus the target of 35 minutes.
‘As soon as you get the private sector involved, there is fresh thinking, there are new ideas and a completely different approach to the way we do business,’ says Vos. ‘It is always a good thing when the private sector steps up and is willing to become involved in managing key infrastructure.
‘For a country that relies on trade and exports, it is essential that goods are moved through the ports as efficiently as possible. Cape Town, at the southern tip, cannot afford to have delays in our harbour, because companies will go to other ports if they experience too many hiccups.’
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