Efficient use of the ports in Manila, Batangas and Subic should be the solution, not a truck ban ­ in decongesting the streets of Manila, according to the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) and the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries of the Philippines Inc. (SEIPI).

The groups in a joint statement released over the weekend expressed that as trade volumes pick up next month and in June, they would still stick to Manila where the existing truck ban could potentially cause damage to the economy.

The groups called for the conduct of what it calls is an inclusive roundtable headed by the national government, preferably by a senior Cabinet member, to assess the magnitude and the complexity of the issue and develop short, mid­term, and long­term solutions for the Manila ports and the usage of the ports of Batangas and Subic.

"The local and foreign business community remains deeply concerned about the economic damage that will be inflicted on the economy because of existing and expanded truck bans in and around the ports of Manila when the trade volume will pick up in May and June this year. While we are supporting all efforts to better utilize the available capacities of the ports of Batangas and Subic, we know that there are no options but to use the ports of Manila more effectively," the groups said in the statement.

"In our opinion that inclusive round table should take place now, before the trade volume picks up in a month or two, which will aggravate the logistics situation, the groups added..

The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, a member of the JFC, has earlier proposed seven measures including: the elimination of all truck delivery bans completely and formulate a proper, coordinated, and efficiency 24­hour truck route regulation system; removal of empty containers from the port area (35 percent of the truck traffic is carrying empties) by disallowing their storage in that area; solving the traffic bottlenecks at Bonifacio Drive/Anda Circle/ RA 10; extending the working hours of Customs to 24/7; reduction of container dwell time to five days; developing a truck appointment system and negotiating with the NLEX­ SLEX Connector the planning of a link into the harbor.

"We firmly believe that a steady, well managed flow of trucks with an effective appointment system will create less traffic disruption, will allow a more effective use of the port facilities and will maintain related cost at a reasonable level flow of imports and exports going," the business groups said.

Some of the stakeholders that should be invited are the port operators; shipping lines; truckers; local government units of Manila, Caloocan, and Paranaque; Department of Public Works and Highways; Department Transportation and Communication; Metro Manila Development Authority; National Housing Authority; Philippine Ports Authority; Philippine Economic; Zone Authority; Bureau of Customs and foreign and local chambers.

Some 3 million twenty­footer­equivalent units (TEUs) pass through ports in Manila while Batangas and Subic have a combined capacity of 800,000 TEUs.

JFC and SEIPI have written a letter to President Aquino expressing their concern on the current trucking situation.

Source: Malaya, 07 April 2014