LOCAL businessmen are encouraged to take advantage of the Davao-Gensan-Bitung Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Roro connectivity to be launched on April 30, as such patronage will keep the trading sustainable for a longer time.
During the first Asean Roro Shipping Service business forum conducted Friday, February 24, at SMX Convention, SM Lanang, Transportation assistant secretary Fernando Juan Perez said they see no current problem arising in line with the launching, however, they would want to encourage businessmen to make use of this connectivity to sustain its operations.
"Hopefully the business sector would see that this trade route is a gold mine. There's so much opportunities here... The Philippines should take advantage of this because Indonesia will definitely take advantage of this," said Perez, who is also the chairperson of the Philippine Interagency Task Force on Asean Roro.
Perez also said with their three previous business forums in Indonesia, they had successfully lifted the six product trade restrictions from Indonesia to the Philippines and vice versa including garments, textiles, medicine, footwear, toys, and electronics.
He said with the preparations they are doing, they are also making sure goods exported by the Philippines to Indonesia are within the rules of the receiving country.
Both Bitung and General Santos ports are ready for the launching on April. Kudos Port in Davao City is being readied and is expected to be finished by March 20 in time fot the dry run on March 28.
Assistant secretary of Department of Trade and Industry and Philippine senior official for Bimp-Eaga Arturo Boncato, Jr. said though there are no business institutions that have confirmed participation during the dry run, they expect confirmation of Indonesian businessmen participation after the Indonesian Food Expo on March 17 to 19 in Davao City.
M/V Super Shuttle Roro 14, with a 100 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) and 6,974 tons capacity, will be utilized for the trade route, which initially will be a once a week operation. However, if further sustained, they plan to upgrade it to twice a week operations. The vessel is owned by Paul Rodriguez under Asian Marine.
Davao-Gensan-Bitung route is expected to lessen cost by almost USD1,500 per TEU as the original trade route, which channels goods through Manila and Jakarta before reaching Bitung, costs USD 2,200/TEU, more expensive than the USD700 TEU cost of Davao-Gensan-Bitung route.
Consul General of Indonesia Secretary Berlian Napitupulu in his speech also said the Philippines, as the chairman of Asean, should make sure this is pushed through.
"If we miss this, we will not be able to do it again. This is our chance," he said. (JPA)