KUCHING: The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) today approved the Sarawak Ports Authority Bill, 2024.

The bill aims to establish an authority to manage, regulate, control, and administer all ports in Sarawak.

Sarawak DUN Speaker, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nasar announced the approval of the Sarawak Ports Authority Bill, 2024 after obtaining a unanimous vote in the 19th Sarawak DUN.

Earlier when presenting the bill, Sarawak Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said, the centralisation model could help Sarawak's ports become more competitive and efficient in line with the region's wider economic goals.

"The proposal to develop a new single port authority will replace all existing port authorities. The establishment of this single port authority is also in line with the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 which includes efficient port services as one of the catalyst initiatives under the enabler of basic infrastructure," he said.

The Sarawak Minister for Infrastructure and Port Development added that the takeover of the port's management and operations will be carried out in three phases, namely the interim phase, the corporatisation phase and the privatisation phase
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He explained that, during the privatisation phase, the bill through its licensing provisions in Part VI will enable the Sarawak Port Authority (with the approval of the MMKN) to privatise port undertakings and operations by licensing either a new entity which has private sector or investor involvement, or a successor company which has admitted new shareholders as investors in the successor company. -UKASnews