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PENANG PORT PROPOSES THREE WAYS TO ERASE RM13 MLN ANNUAL LOSS(Bernama The Malaysian National News Agency Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) from BERNAMA The Malaysian National News Agency PENANG, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) has drawn up three proposals to help arrest its annual RM13 million loss in operating the ferry service between the island and the mainland A 100 percent fuel cost subsidy, purchase of passenger boats and maintenance of the ferry terminals are what it wants the federal government to do, PPSB managing director Datuk Ahmad Ibnihajar said today Discussions are ongoing and he expects a decision by year-end "Using passenger boats will be more viable for us as we can charge both ways, whereas now the ferry fare is only for coming to the island with the return voyage being free," he told reporters after PPSB's Hari Raya open house here It is understood that each boat can hold 200 passengers and 50 motorcycles with a one-way journey being halved to 10 minutes from the present ferry service He was confident that with all-car ferries and passengers using only the boats, the RM13 million annual loss can be redeemed PPSB spends RM10,000 every month to clear rubbish in the terminal area, and it has asked the state government to help overcome this burden as he felt this is a state government matter This is because the terminal at Tanjung City Marina is frequented by seamen from all over the world and is also a tourist draw More than 1,000 people came for the Open House, including Yang Di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abas and Chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon Copyright 2007 Bernama Copyright 2007 Pertubuhan Berita Nasional Malaysia , Source: The Financial Times Limited |