Saleef Port in focus [Archives:2005/859/Front Page]
“There are still measures to be taken for the Saleef port to occupy an acceptable place among other ports,” Ismail al- Hakami, the Financial port manager said. He continued, ” an example of these are, encouragement of both merchants and investors, pavement of roads and reduction of car transport fees copared to those of Hodieda port. These come on top of the necessary priorities. The navigation equipments are also of vital importance to encourage navigation companies”
Ahmed Albakhar, vice manager of Alsaleef port said, “since it was opened in 2001, the income of the port increased from two hundred thousand dollars to four hundred thousand USD to 800,000USD in 2004, which equals to 30 million Yemeni rials. He added that the imports were 800,000 tons in 2004, where 2500 tons of these were salt.
Alsaleef port is considered to be the deepest in the Red sea. It is thirteen and a half meters deep. This will enable the port to receive ships of 260 meters in length, carrying 65000 tons.
As for the number of ships the port receives now, he said that there are currently no ships, because the ships carrying twenty five thousand tons will be unloaded in ten to fifteen days. This could reach a full month. It will take longer if the ship's load is 65,000 tons, which is nearly a million and three hundred thousand sacks.
The number of labor force in the port are 400 employees, apart of the port's employees who are fifty.
The workers work on daily payments, without contracts or insurance. This is of course against labor law.
The port has grain Silos of a hundred and twenty thousand tons capacity.
Those silos are now used by Alhabari and Fahim. Albakhar denies that these silos are monopolized for certain people (we invite all investors to come to Saleef port and see for themselves). It is not monopolized for Al-habari and Fahim.
Al-bakhar is boastful of the fact that the port furnishes electricity for to all of Alsaleef region (The coast guards, local council and the camps) for a price of (ten rials per kilo). This doesn't meet the diesel costs, he said. Mohamed Ali, one of the port employees denies this saying that the cost is (16 rials per kilo)
Al-bakhar says that there is a tendency for expansion .It will include a sugar plant, phosphate export from Saffir factory in Ma'rib. These are two projects presented by an investor In Ma'rib.
Al-bakhari complained of lack of empowerment to decrease the fees in order to lure more investors. This is restricted to the general port authority.
Alsaleef port is an investment port, but it is waiting for practical necessary measures to achieve that.
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