The caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamiye, visited the port of Tripoli on Tuesday where a Chinese vessel, Hue Zing Long, loaded with huge container handling cranes, arrived on Monday.
Speaking to the press, he explained that the cranes were the responsibility of CMR, as part of the contract it had previously signed with the port. According to his explanations, no amount has been disbursed by the Lebanese State. “The equipment will revert to the Lebanese state when the contract expires,” he explained, pointing out that the arrival of the cranes is part of the development of the port of Tripoli, “which now generates revenues in excess of $10 million per month, compared with 400,000 in the past.”
“A year ago,” said Hamiye, “we said that the port of Tripoli is strategic for all Arab countries, and that it plays a historic role. Today, this port is seeing the arrival of some of the largest cranes designed for the world’s seaports, to save a third of the time needed to unload ships.” “Thanks to these cranes, the port of Tripoli will be able to provide port services that will enable it to compete with the world’s largest,” he said.
“We pointed out that this port should be a public institution providing work for all the inhabitants of the North,” he concluded, stressing the importance of the revenue it generates.
Port manager Ahmed Tamer confirmed that “the arrival of the cranes at the container quay will double the speed of container handling, making the port of Tripoli one of the fastest in the world.”
