A SUBSIDIARY of Razon-led International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) said it is expecting to improve its operations at Puerto Cortes in Honduras with improved partnerships with government authorities.
In a statement on Tuesday, ICTSI’s Operadora Portuaria Centroamericana (OPC) said it is coordinating with the Honduran government to improve systems and build road networks to expedite the movement of cargo at the port.
The company said it initiated discussions with the Honduran Customs Agency to align their systems, which will ensure the fast turnover of cargo at the terminal. It added that the discussions resulted in longer operating hours at the Customs office, which will allow more shipments to be processed.
OPC also said the efforts of the Honduran government to expand roads that lead to the port will help it hasten the transfer of goods from the terminal to other areas.
The Honduran port authority likewise opened a truck entry facilitation zone, which OPC said is seen to help ease traffic on the public roads caused by cargo trucks coming from the terminal.
“It is very important that shared efficiencies between us, the port operator and the government are achieved through the improvement of processes, avoiding extra costs for stakeholders and making them more competitive in the local and international market,” OPC Chief Executive Officer Mariano Turnes said in the statement.
The Puerto Cortes logistics gateway, which OPC is operating, serves Central America’s Region IV covering El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua.
The company recently finished a $145-million project to build Pier 6 at the Puerto Cortes and bought new cranes to increase the terminal’s capability to handle larger ships.
ICTSI is looking to start the expansion of the Puerto Cortes container yard and modernize the facilities by installing advanced technologies that will improve its efficiency.
In the first semester, ICTSI posted an attributable net income of $128.5 million, growing 42% from last year due to higher throughputs across its ports.
It is allocating $380 million for capital expenditures this year to fund the upgrading of its terminals in Manila, Mexico and Iraq. — Denise A. Valdez
