PORT KLANG, Dec 10 — The Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) is expected to record a 53 per cent increase in the amount of cargo handled this year despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic globally.
PKFZ general manager Safuan Basir said various industries, especially the manufacturing industry, had to reduce their production due to declining demand, resulting in an oversupply of raw materials that needed to be stored.
“This year, the total cargo handled at PKFZ is expected to increase to about 500,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) compared with last year’s 327,000 TEUs.
“Even the storage warehouses at PKFZ are almost full,” he said at a press conference here today.
Also present was PKFZ chairman Datuk Ir Lawrence Low Ah Kiong, who said that PKFZ was safe for any business activity following the introduction of strict standard operating procedures to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the area.
He said since March, only 55 positive cases had been recorded at PKFZ involving 51 foreign workers and four local workers.
He said the cases recorded were due to the area where the foreign workers lived being close to the Perigi Cluster area.
“Since November 23, no positive Covid-19 cases were recorded here. In fact, in June and November, we instructed all 170 operators here to send their foreign workers to undergo Covid-19 swab tests.
“Only those with negative results are allowed to work. With the December 1 announcement of the targeted Covid-19 screening programme for foreign workers, we will ensure that operators here comply with the instructions,” he said.
Low added that there were a total of 6,500 workers at PKFZ, of which 2,700 were foreign labour.
— Bernama
