The inaugural departure of the maiden container voyage from Muara Port, Brunei Darussalam to Beibu Gulf Port, China, yesterday signified a new economic gateway, strengthening the relationship between the Sultanate and China.
Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah as Chairman of Muara Port Company Sdn Bhd (MPC) and Executive Vice-Governor of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Cai Lixin officiated the event hosted by MPC at the Muara Port Terminal.
The introduction of the new shipping route will deliver economic benefits to both countries in line with the aspirations of the Brunei-Guangxi Economic Corridor initiative.
The maiden container voyage commenced on April 27, 2023 and departed from Muara to Hong Kong and then to Qinzhou before returning to Muara passing by Bintulu.
Initially servicing once monthly, service calls will be intensified to two callings a month with the increase in volume and demand with specialties transported from Brunei to Qinzhou Port include sliced shrimp, muskmelons, processed seafood from the Fish Landing Complex, as well as cargo from Hengyi Industries Sdn Bhd.
With each voyage taking six days, the provision of this service is envisioned to attract China bound cargo from BIMP-EAGA region to tranship in Brunei Darussalam.
Voyages from Qinzhou Port to Brunei and East Malaysia will take up to seven days, transporting Guangxi agricultural products such as fresh fruits and vegetables loaded directly from Qinzhou Port to Muara Port.
The opening of the container route will attract the cargo from China to Brunei and East Malaysia regions to Qinzhou Port for transhipment. After the event, Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew and Cai Lixin visited the Cruise Ship Centre to officiate the launch of the Muara Port’s Gallery of Achievements.
The gallery showcases the development of Muara Port from 1970, focusing on achievements and developments including port throughput, operating income, and employment creation while the future development section showcases the proposed expansion of the new container terminal and further plans on the route between Beibu Gulf Port and Muara Port.
Also present were Minister of Development Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Muhammad Juanda bin Haji Abdul Rashid; Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Shamhary bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha and Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy (Economy) Dato Seri Paduka Haji Khairuddin bin Haji Abdul Hamid.
The Guangxi Government delegation also included Deputy Secretary of the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Lu Xinhua; Deputy Director-General of Guangxi Development and Reform Commission Nong Bing and Deputy Director-General of Guangxi Foreign Affairs Office Wei Yu. Also present were Ambassador-Designate of China to Brunei Darussalam Xiao Jianguo and Chairman of Guangxi Beibu Gulf International Port Group Co Ltd Li Yanqiang. – Lyna Mohamad
