Suez Canal Sees $60M Turnover Increase In 1999

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) reportedly achieved an increase in turnover of $60 million in 1999 to a total of $1.8 billion, due mainly to toll discounts for long-distance ships. Officials announced earlier that canal travel fees for 2000 will remain unchanged for the seventh year in a row. The canal's depth will be increased to between 70 and 72 feet by 2010 to accommodate modern ships with a loading capacity of 300,000 to 350,000 tons of cargo. Special reductions have been promised to liquefied natural gas tankers, including a reduction of five percent for more than 500,000 and up to one million tons in one year, 10 percent off transit dues for more than one million and up to two million tons and 15 percent for more than two million tons. In addition, officials announced that the Suez Canal's computers had successfully rolled into 2000, and that it had received on the first day of the new millennium 35 ships, with revenue of $3.5 million.