Lee (left) chairing the meeting at Miri Islamic Department this morning. – Photo by UKAS.
MIRI: Some 458 containers stranded at the Miri Port since last month, will finally begin to be moved out following a meeting today between the Customs Department, shipping companies and forwarding agencies.
State Transport Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin, who chaired the meeting, said the containers were stuck because of documentation, adding that the shipping and forwarding agencies failed to furnish the department with the right paperwork to clear the containers.
“After listening to explanations of all parties involved, it is clear that the problem was documentation and misunderstanding on the part of local forwarding agencies registered with Customs.
“With the explanation given by the Customs Department to the forwarding agencies and shipping companies, the problem can now be resolved,” he said.
The stranded containers had caused a congestion at the port, resulting in some scheduled goods becoming damaged. It also caused delays for other shipments entering Miri Port.
Following the meeting this morning, the parties agreed to speed up the clearance process by working extra hours, provided that the forwarding agencies furnish the Customs Department with the needed documentation expeditiously.
Lee requested that the Customs Department and Miri Port to work overtime if needed to clear the backlog and release the containers as soon as possible.
The forwarding agencies also expressed their gratitude to Lee for helping to resolve their problem.