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The Ports and Harbours Bureau of Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) has unveiled that it will submit a request for budget allocations for fiscal 2025 that amounts to a total of ¥314.2 billion (US$2.18 billion) at government expense, up 19% from the previous fiscal year. It consists of ¥311 billion (US$2.16 billion) for public works projects at government expense, up 19%, and ¥3.2 billion (US$22.17 million) for non-public projects, up 15%.
As for budget allocations for public works projects, the bureau intends to spend ¥291.4 billion (US$2.02 billion) on port and harbor maintenance and enhancement projects, up 19%; ¥18.2 billion (US$125.73 million) on other port and harbor as well as shore projects, up 20%; and ¥1.4 billion (US$9.67 million) on disaster recovery and other projects, unchanged.
Of the budget for port and harbor maintenance and enhancement projects, ¥79.7 billion (US$550.67 million) is earmarked to upgrade the Strategic International Container Ports, up 26%, and ¥134.9 billion (US$932.09 million) to advance programs to ensure safety and security for the nation, up 25%. Of the budget for other port and harbor as well as shore projects, ¥17.8 billion (US$122.97 million) is allotted for programs to ensure safety and security for the nation, up 20%.
In July 2023, the Port of Nagoya was cyberattacked, which led to system failure. In consideration of the incident, the Ports and Harbours Bureau will demand that cybersecurity measures be upgraded at ports and harbors, help port and harbor transport business operators and other parties reinforce their capabilities to take countermeasures, follow up the actions taken by the central government and discuss ways to further strengthen cyberattack counter measures and collect information on and analyze overseas cyberattack cases.
To upgrade the Strategic International Container Ports, the bureau will endeavor to increase cargo throughput, reinforce their competitiveness by developing deep-draft extensive container terminals and promote efforts to realize AI terminals to help human workers.
Other projects the Ports and Harbors Bureau will advance include programs to verify the reinforcement of competitiveness at the Strategic International Container Ports, the introduction of remote-controlled rubber-tire gantry cranes (RTGs), the promotion of port and harbor technology development to build next-generation container terminals and the enhancement of container terminal gate systems.
