By Emmie V. Abadilla
The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) yesterday extended its free accreditation for container-port related businesses from April 13 to December 31, 2018 to encourage more enterprises to use Subic’s container terminals and decongest Manila’s ports.
The $200 accreditation fee waiver applies to the first 80 new business entrants and the first 20 accredited entities due for renewal of their accreditation certificate.
The waiver covers ship agents, freight forwarders, brokerage firms and trucking services.
Firms with an accreditation certificate should guarantee to bring at least one container within one month from filing or renewal of accreditation certification to be entitled to the waiver.
“The free accreditation initiative received positive feedback, that’s why we are bringing it back this year,” SBMA chairperson and administrator Wilma T. Eisma acknowledged.
It’s definitely an opportunity for more firms to invest in Subic and promote the Freeport, according to Subic Bay International Terminal Corporation (SBITC) president Roberto Locsin.
SBITC, the operator of the Subic Bay Freeport, pledged to ensure support and quality service to clients using its container freight station and container terminals.
Furthermore, the initiative will decongest the Ports of Manila, broaden industry awareness of the use of the Port of Subic Bay’s Container Terminal and increase container port traffic and utilization rate.
It can also accommodate more Small, Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
The Port of Subic has two modern container terminals, New Container Terminals 1 and 2, which provide on and off-dock marine port cargo as well container handling services.