STARTING this year, imported goods arriving at the Cebu International Port (CIP) can be delivered to the Mactan Economic Zone (MEZ) or to any point in Cebu and the rest of the country by roll-on roll-off (roro) vessels.

Cebu Port Authority (CPA) General Manager Angelo Verdan said the new system in transporting container vans of cargo will start in August once the Oriental Port and Allied Services (Opascor) completes the P1.2-billion finger port, which is an extension of the CIP.

Opascor is the exclusive cargo forwarding service provider at the CIP.

At present, the CIP can only accommodate ocean-going vessels, and vans of imported cargo are only be taken out by 10-wheeler trucks, which transport goods to MEZ or to any destination, contributing to heavy traffic in Metro Cebu.

The finger port is 250 meters in length and 50 meters wide, and can accommodate two roro vessels at a time to transport cargo from CIP to MEZ, or to other parts of the Visayas and Mindanao.

Verdan said that once an international vessel unloads imported goods, the importer or customs broker can immediately pay duties and taxes to the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

Once cleared, Verdan said the domestic roro vessels can transport the cargo to its local destination.

He said the project was started by a joint venture of Mindanao contractors last year and will be finished by July 2019, so they can start operating by August.

Verdan added that the future Cebu International Container Port in Tayud, Consolacion, Cebu will serve as an extension of the CIP due to the increasing need for facilities for imported cargo. (EOB)