PORT OF SINGAPORE AS AN INTERNATIONAL HUB PORT

Abstract

In the light of current economic interest in the competition for hub port status, this thesis proposes as its principle objective an in-depth analysis of the potential of Singapore as an international hub port. To accomplish this aim, an attempt shall be made to assess the port's commercial desirability and attractiveness from the perspective of its main customers. For the purpose of this thesis, The primary analytical tool to be utilised shall be that of port selection criteria. The body of literature devoted to studies on factors for port choice and trends in the shipping industry. There is virtually no in-depth studies done on hub port selection criteria. Intuitively then, this thesis inferred the various determinants based on commonly identified port selection indicators. It shall then seek to show how the port of Singapore measures up to the criteria described, using actual figures pertaining to the port. The focus of this thesis will be both quantitative and qualitative. For quantitative approach, the tool to be used is the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). To date, no empirical test has been done except for a hypothetical numerical example (by Roll and Hyuth, 1993) which lacks perceptive insights. In this thesis, twenty-two ports including Singapore were sampled and efficiency measurements were computed as inputs for the programme. The results generated will enable relative comparisons to be made between the respective ports. As a complement to the quantitative analysis, the qualitative approach will allow a more complete evaluation.