First Laos dry port pushes more Asean connectivity
OPERATED by the Savan Logistics Company Limited, Laos’ first dry port at the Savan Park Zone C in the Savan-Seno Special Economic Zone is now closer to becoming a regional trans-shipment hub between Asean and China via existing linkages to regional ports.
In a strategic geographical location, the country’s first Dry Port/ Inland Container Depot is now connecting Laos to the rest of the region by linking with the EastWest Economic Corridor between Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, midway between the nearest Vietnamese seaport of Danang and Thai ports in Bangkok and Laem Chabang.
Savan Logistics as a dry port operator, with backing from the Laos government, believes that its connectivity of regional transshipment services will also link the EWEC with China’s One Belt, One Road initiative, which will provide more effective shipments of goods more cheaply and faster.
Positioned at the centre of an intermodal transport network, the dry port is being touted as a hub for carriers, freight forwarders, and as a way to connect importers and exporters to their international clients. The port will be set up to accomodate containers and bulk cargo.
At present, a variety of services are on offer at the dry port including a free trade zone facility with easy re-exporting procedure, deferral and reduction of container duties as well as improved compliance, inventory tracking and quality control.
Presently, the port is eager to upgrade its service regarding quicker procedures and time-saving methods by having Laos agricultural quarantine and inspection services and food and drug inspections all at the same place.
Savan aims to provide its customers with services of risk management through vehicle tracking and driver monitoring, which are used to ensure the authorised shipment of goods from one truck to another before reaching the final destination.
Connecting logistics services for complete goods trans-shipment, the company provides linkages between road freight, ocean freight and air freight all at once to ensure door-to-door and port-to-port delivery and everything in between.
The firm plans to implement the use of mobile X-ray and electronic scales which can weigh loads of up to 80 tonnes.
Already a major player in the region’s logistics sector, Savan Logistics has operated in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and China, and processes over 500 trucks per month from Asean.