The project, costing RM360 million under the 11th Malaysia Plan, was announced by Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai in February this year when he visited the Senari terminal here.

Kuching Port Authority (KPA) General Manager Rosli Saup said the completion meant bigger cargo and cruise ships from the peninsula and Asian countries could call directly at Kuching.

He said this in a statement after briefing the local shipping community today on the dredging project and its benefits.

“We will then have a deeper navigational channel of nine metres below chart datum (with tidal water up to 12 metres draught) for a 23.4km stretch.

“There is no need for ships to wait for high tide to sail up the Sarawak River as is the practice currently,” he said.

Rosli said this would translate into savings in time and cost, and most of all, navigational safety.

However, he added, the port has imposed a new port tariff, the “Channel Maintenance Fee”, at RM1 per tonne of cargo or per passenger within its limit area from June 1, 2016.

He said this was for the purpose of maintaining the channel, especially stretches where the dredging had now been done.

He said the fee applied to movement of cargo or passengers in and out of the state and not on local cargo or passengers within the state.

He said the new tariff is under the Kuching Port Authority (Dues, Rates and Charges) (Amendment) Regulations 2016.

–BERNAMA