Trade chief assures no congestion problem at Manila port

TRADE AND Industry Secretary Ramon M. Lopez has assured the business sector that there is no problem of congestion at the Port of Manila after he met last Oct. 9 with Bureau of Customs (BoC) Commissioner Isidro S. Lapeña. In a statement yesterday, Mr. Lopez said the “line of trucks that gave the impression of port congestion is caused by the policy of port operators to limit the port entry of empty container vans. The space for empty containers is already fully utilized and allowing more may eat up the space for filled containers.” He added, “The BOC is already increasing their capacity via inland container depots in Laguna and other areas to solve this issue. But rest assured that there is no delay in transporting shipments to and from the port. Mr. Lopez said companies should not worry and consider delaying their shipments, which could affect supply and lead to even higher inflation. The country’s inflation rate, which reflects the prices of basic goods and services, stood at 6.7% in September, the highest in nine years.