The Ministry of Finance has already extended a RM4.6 billion soft loan at 4% interest rate to PKA to salvage the project in 2007, and now it appears that they will have to extend an additional RM3.56 billion loan to cover the cashflow deficit over the next 20 years! As projected by PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PwC), this restructured financing will cost an additional RM5 billion in interest costs over the next 42 years!
Hence the total commitment required to keep this project alive by the Government is a whopping RM8.6 billion, on top of whatever funds that has already been extended!
The obvious question is, should we throw good money after bad? Will there ever be a businessman (or even government) in the world, who will invest in a commercial project which is projecting cumulative cashflow deficit (note: we are not even talking about profits here!) after 33 years (2042)!!
And that in itself is an optimistic projection! Current occupancy at PKFZ is only 14%, but it's projected to reach 20% in 2010, and full occupancy by 2018 (or was it 2014?).
And what did the Minister of Transport, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat say to this?
"I am disappointed to learn that some opposition members have proposed that the Government cut losses and close down PKFZ. This is a premature statement by politicians who think they can make well-informed financial decisions based on a few hours of looking through the PKFZ report.""Premature statement"? You'll really need to be blind like MCA and BN leaders to not see something as obvious as this!
5 comments:
It just shows that UMNO and BN still is still trying to swindle more of the public money. They are blind all right... blinded by greed!
Keeping it alive means the taxpayers will have to throw in more money to fill up this 12.5b hole.
The analogy is like cooking for 10 when there are only two persons eating.
There is something very wrong with this Gomen's policies. It is twisted.
tony,
without a doubt, Ong wouldnt even pass Finance 101.
as it is now, PKA is not even generating enough revenue to cover operating expenses. forget about the financial obligations.
the project is doomed from day one because of greed and corruption which is abetted by MT from MCA. Its as simple as that. Of course, one of the past PKA Chirman would want to absolve of the blame but he is bad news wherever he goes. Remember Pempena?
hey, that is a gold quarry for mca and bn cronies. why would mca or bn want to ditch it?
After wasting RM 4B & the port still can't operate. Yet have the guts to tell us to carry on? Why can't they disect it & look at where it is functioning to generate the income for PKA. When there is income then look at areas that need to be developed. What kind of thinking is our Transport Minister having in mind? To waste more tax-$ or turn-around PKFZ?
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