LABUAN: The Labuan Chamber of Commerce (LCC) is hopeful that the island’s transhipment activities will resume after being halted several years ago.
On Feb 8, the LCC facilitated a technical discussion on transhipment activities in Labuan following the recent news about transhipment operations being suspended in Tawau and Sandakan.
Its chairman, Daniel Doughty said the meeting in Kota Kinabalu aimed to reconfirm the technical, marine logistics, port-related operations and legal requirements for Labuan to serve as the transhipment port for Pahlawan and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
"This meeting was the second time the traders and non-convention vessel (NCV) owners have reached out to the LCC for discussions on this matter, following their visit to Labuan for inspection on Jan 16," he said.
He noted that the revival of the transhipment operation in Labuan is a challenging task after being halted several years ago.
"However, the LCC is optimistic that Labuan will see its first NCV arriving this month, marking the beginning of the gradual increase in the movement of NCVs between Labuan, Pahlawan and the BARMM region,” he said.
Doughty said the LCC will continue to play its role in establishing and facilitating dialogues to encourage trade, policy advocacy, networking, business and economic growth for its members and the Labuan community at large.
"LCC hopes to empower and inspire the business community in Labuan to achieve its full potential through its unparalleled support, advocacy and opportunities for growth and success,” he added.
Doughty said the LCC will also continue to work closely with the traders and NCV owners to ensure a smooth and successful revival of the transhipment operation in Labuan.
"We believe that this initiative will bring significant benefits to the local economy and contribute to the overall development of the region,” he said. - Bernama
