By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera
The Aitken Spence group (Spence), hot on the heels of securing (part) ownership and management of all ports in Fiji, is searching for more regional opportunities to manage ports, officials said. According to them opportunities in the African region for port technical handling remain a top “priority”, a senior official told the Business Times. Aitken Spence presently conducts operations in several ports in South Africa and Mozambique. “Our programmes have been very successful and we have been able to cover all the major container terminals in South Africa.
It is the intention of Spence’s port efficiency enhancement and terminal management services arm, Port Management Container Services Ltd to expand their activities in the other African ports too,” the official said. According to him, Spence is eyeing more port management contracts not only in Africa but elsewhere in the region as well. He added the company is looking at other regions and is interested in the Free Trade Agreements with Pakistan, India and China which will increase the demand for the freight and logistics businesses for Spence. Aitken Spence PLC has a 20 per cent shareholding in Fiji Ports Corporation Ltd, the first ever public-private partnership by a Sri Lankan company.
The local firm also entered into a public-private partnership acquiring a 51 per cent majority stake in Fiji Ports Corporation’s subsidiary, Ports Terminal Ltd in May 2013 for US$ 6 million to handle cargo activities in two ports of Fiji totaling to estimated capacity of 700,000 TEUs per annum. In August 2013 Spence took management control of the Suva and Lautoka ports also in Fiji for a period of 15 years. During the past years, the increase in profits from companies in the port management, ship agency and airline sub sectors contributed towards the profits of the Maritime and Logistics Sector, the official said.
The Aitken Spence group (Spence), hot on the heels of securing (part) ownership and management of all ports in Fiji, is searching for more regional opportunities to manage ports, officials said. According to them opportunities in the African region for port technical handling remain a top “priority”, a senior official told the Business Times. Aitken Spence presently conducts operations in several ports in South Africa and Mozambique. “Our programmes have been very successful and we have been able to cover all the major container terminals in South Africa.
It is the intention of Spence’s port efficiency enhancement and terminal management services arm, Port Management Container Services Ltd to expand their activities in the other African ports too,” the official said. According to him, Spence is eyeing more port management contracts not only in Africa but elsewhere in the region as well. He added the company is looking at other regions and is interested in the Free Trade Agreements with Pakistan, India and China which will increase the demand for the freight and logistics businesses for Spence. Aitken Spence PLC has a 20 per cent shareholding in Fiji Ports Corporation Ltd, the first ever public-private partnership by a Sri Lankan company.
The local firm also entered into a public-private partnership acquiring a 51 per cent majority stake in Fiji Ports Corporation’s subsidiary, Ports Terminal Ltd in May 2013 for US$ 6 million to handle cargo activities in two ports of Fiji totaling to estimated capacity of 700,000 TEUs per annum. In August 2013 Spence took management control of the Suva and Lautoka ports also in Fiji for a period of 15 years. During the past years, the increase in profits from companies in the port management, ship agency and airline sub sectors contributed towards the profits of the Maritime and Logistics Sector, the official said.
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