MONROVIA – To improve service delivery and the ease of doing business at the Free Port of Monrovia, APMT-Liberia, have procured new container handling equipment. The equipment, 3 new Kalmar Reach Stackers and 4 modernized, Twin Lift Spreaders purchased at the cost of US$1.5 million, is part of the company’s investment into retooling in its strategic attempt at improving port efficiency at the Free Port of Monrovia.
The company celebrated this achievement at a brief ceremony with stakeholders and partners of the Port industry in Liberia.
Deputy Minister of Finance & Development Planning, Hon. Augustus Flomo, who delivered a keynote address at the event took the opportunity to reiterate government’s plan to support key companies who are at the heart of the Liberian economy such as APMT to thrive. He commended APMT adding that such continuous investment into Port efficiency is crucial for accelerated economic growth.
“As a government, we have been keen on digitizing the processes at the port, increasing the infrastructure and improving its relevance to the economic acceleration of Liberia. We believe that these pieces of equipment complement our agenda in this direction. We want to commend APMT for these continuous investments” Hon. Flomo said.
In a presentation on behalf of the National Port Authority (NPA), Executive Director/Chief of Staff at the Managing Director’s Office at NPA, Mr. Roland Sunnyway highlighted the positive cooperation between the Authority and APMT-Liberia adding that investments of this nature impact positively on the customer’s experience. This was corroborated by a solidarity message sent by the Managing Director of NPA, Hon. Bill Twehway.
‘I would like to commend APMT- Liberia for their continuous investment into this Port and for being a trustworthy partner to the Authority in our collective quest to improve Port efficiency. Investments into Port facilities does not only impact positively on the customer’s experience but ultimately contributes to the overall productivity at the Port. 2021 was a year with many positive developments and we look forward to many more significant developments in this year. We have every confidence in the ability of our agencies to work together to turn the fortunes of the Free Port of Monrovia around”
Speaking on the importance of these new equipment to the operations at the Terminal, Head of Operations at APMT Liberia, Erickson Trocon Brown noted that the new addition will significantly improve the ease with which operational staff are able to go about their work. Mr. Brown said the company is repositioning itself to not only improve service delivery but break new frontiers in port investment in Liberia. Improved operational performance according to Mr. Brown, is paramount to APM Terminal’s objective to support Liberia’s economic growth.
“We are always aiming to improve our operational performance and this underlines our commitment to continuously invest in more operational tools. These new set of equipment is already enhancing how we work. It is our objective that as we reposition ourself as a company, investment like this will help us to break new frontiers in our output at the Free Port of Monrovia” Mr. Trocon Brown said.
Hitherto, longer turnaround times which was a source of frustration to many customers was a feature of doing business at the Port. With the deployment of this new equipment, Port customers have expressed relief at how turnaround time has significantly improved.
With the global economy beginning to pick up from the ruins of COVID-19, it is expected that this new investment will enhance the company’s objective of easing bottlenecks with doing business at the Free Port of Monrovia and ultimately support more economic growth.
APM Terminals Liberia operates a state-of-the-art multi-purpose port in the Free Port of Monrovia on a 25-year concession from the Government of Liberia. With a container capacity of approximately 200,000 TEU per year, the terminal also has facilities for General Cargo (Rice, Wheat, Cement, Clinker, Limestone, Gypsum etc.), Project Cargo and Break Bulk, and provides world-class pilotage and towing services.
APM Terminal Liberia commenced operations in February 2011 and completed a US$125 million upgrade of the facility in 2017. The terminal was upgraded to internationally recognised standards, with reconstruction of the quay length of 600 metres, fully paved yard, specialist reefer facilities, biometric access control and full CCTV coverage for the highest levels of security, and 4 x 500kva generators providing triple protection for business continuity.
The Terminal now supports more than 1,300 direct and contracted employment opportunities. Since 2017 when the phase II investment was completed, General Cargo volumes have grown consistently from 746 metric tons to 1,042,000 metric tons in 2021. Container volumes have seen similar growth, increasing from 89,000 TEUs in 2017 to 124,000 TEUs in 2021. Between 2011 and 2021, APM Terminals Liberia also made over US$125 million direct contributions to the government and people of Liberia. Contributions were made via concession fees and taxes.
Our corporate social responsibility initiatives have been the bedrock of our connection with the people; providing support in the areas of health, education, community support, among others.