Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited, a subsidiary of SIFAX Group and concessionaire of Terminal C, Tin-can Island Port, plans to close its annual container throughput volume at 300,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUS) for its 2021 business year.
John Jenkins, managing director, Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited, said the target, maybe ambitious but achievable given its impressive 2020 performance, despite the myriad of challenges that the maritime sector was confronted with within 2020.
Available statistics show that in 2020, the terminal recorded an increase of 12,153 TEUS to cap at 242,195 TEUS as against 2019’s figure of 230,042 TEUS. The full import figure rose from 109,367 TEUS in 2019 to 122,243 TEUS while the export of empty containers also witnessed an increase from 94,041 TEUS in 2019 to 96, 605 TEUS in 2020.
The terminal, however, recorded a decline in its full export as it saw a drop from the 2019 figure of 26,634 TEUS to 23,347 – amounting to a difference of 3,287.
“Despite the harsh business terrain occasioned by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the terrible state of the port access roads and some other hurdles, the terminal still recorded this impressive performance. This was due to proactive business strategy, committed staff, supportive leadership and loyal clients,” Jenkins said.
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Jenkins further explained that to boost the terminal’s efficiency, barge operation was given utmost priority with the creation of two dedicated points at the quayside where barges load and offload with dedicated cranes.
He said that the barge operation has helped in the decongestion of the terminal following the cargo evacuation hurdles created by the bad state of Tin-can access road.
“We now achieve a minimum of 8,000 TEUS for our barge operations every month. This has greatly improved the terminal’s business offerings and brought great relief to our customers who have had to endure the biting consequence of port congestion primarily caused by poor access roads and the ongoing road construction,” he said.
With all the strategies and modern equipment put in place at the terminal, Jenkins said the company would meet the target of 300,000 TEUS set for itself in 2021.
On the terminal’s performance, Bode Ojeniyi, group executive director, SIFAX Group, expressed his confidence at the company’s surpassing the 2021 target.
Ojeniyi said with the impending launch of its e-payment and e-billing platforms as well as the huge investment in the acquisition of more technological infrastructure, the terminal is well-positioned to deliver an efficient service that will meet the expectations of its customers.
