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Govt to set aside P1.2B for more RORO ships


The government on Thursday said it will set aside P1.2 billion this year to fund the purchase of more roll-on roll-off ships for priority missionary routes. Agustin Bengzon, President and chief executive of National Development Company's Maritime Leasing Corp. fund the purchase of RORO ships to be leased to RORO operators servicing the following routes: Maasin, Leyte – Ubay, Bohol; Santander, Cebu – Siquijor Island; Camiguin – Jagna, Bohol; and Lucena, Quezon – Boac, Marinduque. NMLC currently has P400 million in capital for the purchase of these ships, which it hopes to increase to P1.2 billion by the third quarter of the year. During a Philippine Interisland Shipping Association meeting, Bengzon urged PISA members to partner with the government’s and prioritize operations in the missionary routes. “When you say missionary routes, normally there is no business activity in that place," he said stressing that one of NMLC's purposes is to assist in linking under developed routes. He said that the purchase of the additional ships is in anticipation of increased economic activity in those area. "We [also] encourage RORO operators to replace their old ships with newly constructed ROROs and to redeploy or scrap their old ships," Bengzon said. The Strong Republic Nautical Highway or RORO is one of the current administration's top projects. The RORO was put in place to ensure fast and economical movement of goods and people, and to enhance tourism, trade and commerce within the country.-GMANews.TV

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