SANDAKAN: Sandakan Port must upgrade its infrastructure immediately rather than waiting for 2029, when new gas supplies from the offshore Mutiara Cluster are set to drive industrial growth, says Datuk Ewon Benedick.
The Sabah Deputy Chief Minister III said preparations must align with energy arrivals at the Sawit Kinabalu Sandakan Industrial Park.
“There is a very clear need at Sandakan Port to improve operational efficiency through better cranes and equipment,” he said.
Ewon, who is also the state Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport Minister, was speaking to reporters after a Mid-Autumn Festival dinner here on Friday (Sept 18).
He said Sandakan Port, the third largest in Sabah after Sepanggar and Tawau, needed better equipment and cranes to improve its efficiency.
He urged port operator Suria Capital Holdings to invest in better cranes and machinery to resolve operational delays.
“Much of the food and beverages we consume are transported by ship,” he said.
To fix shallow shipping channels that currently restrict larger vessels, Sabah Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO) Mining and Sabah Oil and Gas Development Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding to dredge the area, using the extracted sand for land reclamation at the Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park.
“There are two objectives – to deepen the shipping channel and to use the dredged sand for the industrial area at SOGIP,” he said.
Ewon added that the state Cabinet is also preparing a paper on revitalising eastern Sabah's barter trade following calls from local chambers of commerce and regional trade officials, pending regulatory and security approvals.
“Whatever decision and direction are eventually decided by the Chief Minister and Cabinet, I will share them with the media and industry players,” he said.
