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KOTA KINABALU: Sabah business chambers and industry players’ associations have urged the State Government and Sabah Ports authorities to suspend the implementation of new container charges at Sepanggar Container Terminal until the temporary action plan to resolve port congestion is fully implemented.

At a joint press conference on Sunday, representatives of major industry groups expressed dissatisfaction over the sharp increase in storage fees effective March 1.

The daily charge for a 20-foot container has increased from RM12 to RM30, while a 40-foot container now costs RM60 per day, up from RM24 — an increase of more than 100 per cent.

They warned that the higher costs, coupled with ongoing port delays, would eventually be passed on to consumers, potentially leading to reduced imports, shortages of goods and higher prices.

While supporting port upgrades and expansion efforts, industry players said fee increases should only be implemented after improvements are completed or introduced gradually in stages.