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Port Klang defers rate hike six months till March 2019

Port users at Malaysia's Port Klang’s will get a six-month reprieve as the government deferred the planned 15% tariff hike from September 1 this year to March 1, 2019.

Vincent Wee, Hong Kong and South East Asia Correspondent

August 13, 2018

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The planned hike, which would have applied to the terminals operated by both Westports and MMC-owned Northport, was pushed back to give more time to port users and other industry players to adapt and stabilise businesses after the introduction of the Sales and Services Tax (SST) which was also set to be introduced on September 1, local media quoted Transport Minister Anthony Loke as saying.

Read More: Malaysia's Westports H1 throughput down 4% to 4.5m teu

“This deferment is a clear indication of the government’s commitment to ease the rakyat’s burden besides taking into consideration the impact of the SST implementation on September 1 this year,” he said.
A 15% hike was implemented in the first phase in 2015, while the next step up 15% increase was set to take effect on September 1, 2018.
The Port Klang Authority (PKA) said the staggered increase was to allow port users sufficient time to adjust their business costs along the supply chain.

About the Author

Vincent Wee

Hong Kong and South East Asia Correspondent

Vincent Wee is Seatrade's Hong Kong correspondent covering Hong Kong and South China while also making use of his Malay language skills to cover the Malaysia and Indonesia markets. He has gained a keen insight and extensive knowledge of the offshore oil and gas markets gleaned while covering major rig builders and offshore supply vessel providers.

Vincent has been a journalist for over 15 years, spending the bulk of his career with Singapore's biggest business daily the Business Times, and covering shipping and logistics since 2007. Prior to that he spent several years working for Brunei's main English language daily as well as various other trade publications.

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