Taiwan’s competitiveness in the global cargo sector has received a tremendous boost thanks to the opening of a new corporation charged with managing the nation’s four main harbors, ROC Premier Sean C. Chen said Feb. 29.
Taiwan International Ports Corporation Ltd., responsible for running the ports of Hualien, Kaohsiung, Keelung and Taichung, will play a pivotal role in expanding port operations and strengthening links with other commercial harbors, the premier said at an inauguration ceremony in Taipei.
Citing the successful example of Dubai Port World, a United Arab Emirates-based maritime company that operates over 60 major harbors around the globe, the premier said Taiwan is getting ready to serve as the international logistics hub in the Asia-Pacific region.
“The corporatized body will expand Taiwan’s container handling capabilities and business links with international ports in Southeast Asia and second-tier coastal cities in mainland China,” the premier said.
While TIPC is responsible for drawing up commercial plans, the Maritime and Port Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications will oversee the ports’ operations and policymaking efforts regarding maritime affairs.
“Following the separation of tasks, the two organizations can help the four port authorities respond more efficiently to market changes, allowing more flexibility in strategic business planning,” MOTC Minister Mao Chi-kuo said.
Following the implementation of the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), Taiwan must seize the burgeoning opportunities in the global cargo sector, the minister noted.
An amendment to the Commercial Port Act was passed in 2011 allowing for the establishment of a state-run maritime corporation, according to the MOTC. (HZW)
Write to Kwangyin Liu at kwangyin.liu@mail.gio.gov.tw