Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator
Jonathan D. Tan predicts that the P5.5-billion joint venture between the agency
and the Harbour Centre Port Terminal Inc. (HCPTI) will spur growth in the port
businesses of this premier Freeport.
During the inauguration of the Subic Port at the Naval Supply Depot
(NSD) here, the 10-year Subic Port joint venture will revitalize the ports,
yards, and cargo handling inside this Freeport. The JV also includes the
development, operation and management of several ports inside the former US
naval base.
“Our goal at SBMA is in line with HCPTI’s goal of creating more
employment opportunities, generate new income, boost the tourism, attract more
foreign and local investments, and expand the trading business in Subic,” he
said.
He added that the upgrade of the port facilities is expected to
improve cargo processing efficiency, reduce ship turnaround times, and increase
the volume of bulk and break bulk cargo handled.
HCPTI Chairman Regis Romero II said that with the inauguration of
the Subic Port operation, the country is now able to provide enough buffer from
global inflation and regional conflicts. He cited that unrest in Ukraine and
Israel has put a damper on the global economy.
“Sustainability in business may face threats due to some
uncertainties, especially from external forces like the unrest in Ukraine and
Israel. But I remain confident, considering that our economy can withstand
external shocks which has been proven many times over – from the 1997 Asian
financial crisis to the 2008 global economic meltdown and all the way to the
recent covid-induced market slump and worldwide inflation,” Romero said.
“Thanks to the fact that our economy is driven by consumption such
that the nation can consume what it can produce. To a large extent, it makes
our economy virtually self-sustaining. But to ensure economic expansion amid
the growing domestic requirements, we have to trade beyond our borders and
attract foreign capital and technologies,” Dr. Romero II stressed, apparently
hinting at the priority goals of the SBMA-HCPTI joint venture. (MPD-SBMA)
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