Minister of Communications officiating the foundation laying ceremony for a new ICDnland Container Depot in Sungai Tujoh

With the construction of a new inland container depot in Sungai Tujoh, Kuala Belait, interstate trade with Brunei Darussalam is expected to be even easier and more secure.

The Minister of Communications yesterday shared his concerns that commercial vessels that transport goods to Brunei Darussalam were still fully dependant on international shipping companies.

This matter is a cause of concern to the nation, as shipping companies can terminate their shipping services to Brunei at any time and this would undoubtedly have an impact on the transportation of food supplies to the nation, Pehin Orang Kaya Hamzah Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdullah bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar warned.

Besides affecting food security, the abrupt termination of shipping services to the Sultanate could also lead to a drop in shipping tonnage, which would subsequently increase the cost of shipping and leaving supplies with no other alternatives, the minister added.

To address this, there has to be an alternative means to ease the entry of goods, he said.

Pehin Dato Awang Haji Abdullah raised these matters during a foundation laying ceremony for a new Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Sungai Tujoh, Kuala Belait, yesterday morning.

Brunei could also become a transit centre for cargo transportation going to neighbouring states such as Sarawak, he said, adding that expanding cargo accessibility using land cargo access routes (hinterland) is in line with the nation's aspiration to stimulate transportation and trade activities.

The project to construct Sungai Tujoh ICD building, which is one of the projects under the 9th National Development Plan, is estimated to cost B$3.8 million.

Construction began in the first quarter of 2009 and it should be completed sometime in the third quarter of 2011.

The Inland Container Depot can be used as a 'container transfer system' to address the security concerns and enhance the trade environment. Free circulating trailers could also be utilised at Sungai Tujoh ICD between Brunei Darussalam and Sarawak, as well as for transit cargoes.

In order to facilitate trade, measures will have to betaken to ensure smooth movement of goods through border crossings.

The facilities will include three open spaces for the storage of cargoes, a loading bay with a mechanical dock leveller, a place to store refrigerated containers (reefer points), a ramp for a forklift, a guardhouse, as well as parking lots'. The minister highlighted that cooperation among Asean member countries had long existed, with transit items utilising the 'single-mode transportation operation'.

Asean members were called to provide ICD facilities near border control posts with the purpose of easing the entry of transit items and interstate entry into two or more countries, he said.

The minister also noted that the aspiration to set up adequate 'hard infrastructure' facilities to ease trade activities through transit and interstate was made by the International Convention on the Harmonisation of Frontier Control of Goods (1982).

According to him, the body called for coordination among agencies allocated at border control posts such as the Royal Customs and Excise Department, Immigration & National Registration Department, Land Transport Department; Royal Brunei Police Force; Agriculture Department, Narcotics Control Bureau, Internal Security Department, Disease Control Section, Health Environment Services, Halal Haram Section and Syariah Affairs Department, "to ease access and exit of cargoes through the border control post".

With regards to Brunei's "soft infrastructure", the minister said the Sultanate should enhance efforts and cooperation with the two neighbouring states of Malaysia -Sabah and Sarawak - particularly in the field of the "Legal Framework Regime through the "Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Haultier and Freight Forwarder".

He explained that this included infrastructure facilities in the form of Information Communication Technology (ICT) that is able to provide the execution of synchronised procedures and documentation to ease the movement of entry and exit of goods.

Sungai Tujoh ICD serves as a point for the consolidation and accumulation of incoming cargoes from the country of origins through Muara Port using land route towards ICD Sungai Tujoh or ICD Kuala Lurah for Miri, Limbang and Lawas, Sarawak market or multi-modal transport.

From Muara Port, there are many direct links to ports of main export countries.

The Sungai Tujoh ICD will help enhance Muara Port's shipping connectivity, making it "the port of choice" for exporters and manufacturers.

Apart from Sungai Tujoh ICD being utilised as a container transfer system, it also functions to address security issues and serves as a place for "100 per cent physical inspection or quarantine" by related agencies, if required. In addition to that, it could also serve as a long-term storage.

Another ICD project that is nearing completion is in Labu, Temburong.


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