EXPANDING AND MODERNIZING TANJUNG PRIOK HARBOR VITAL by Fardah

 Jakarta, Sept 14, 2016 (Antara) - Development must never stop in order to catch up with technological  progress and demands of the current era, particularly with regard to the Tanjung Priok Seaport, Indonesia's largest and busiest harbor.

       The Joko Widodo (Jokowi) administration has put in place an ambitious plan to transform Indonesian seaports into modern ones to support the government's maritime axis program.

         Therefore, since the construction of New Priok Container Terminal One (NPCT1) started in 2012, President Jokowi has personally checked its progress twice.

         This is to ensure that the port will help increase the nation's competitiveness by developing facilities using innovation and sophisticated technologies.

         Moreover, the Indonesian Port Corporation (IPC), or Pelindo II, has been asked by the president to speed up efforts to increase port capacity.

         This was reiterated by the president while inaugurating the operation of the New Priok Container Terminal One (NPCT1) or Kalibaru container terminal at Tanjung Priok Main Seaport, North Jakarta, Sept. 13.   
    NPCT1 is built on a plot of land measuring 32 hectares and has a capacity of 1.5 million twenty foot equivalent unit (TEUs) per year.

           The terminal is 450 meters long and will be further lengthened to 850 meters at the end of this year. Its current depth is 14 low water spring (LWS) meters and will be further dredged to 20 meters.

         Constructed to meet a significant surge in container and cargo flow, the terminal is operated by joint venture company PT New Priok Container Terminal One (NPCT1), comprising state-owned Indonesian Port Corporation Pelindo II (IPC) TPK and a consortium of Mitsui-PSA-NYK Line.

          Furthermore, the head of state ordered the IPC to complete the construction of the second and third NPCT, as well as two product terminals, by 2019.  
    "The work must be done in 2-3 shifts, and not one shift. Alhamdulillah (Thank God), the first one is completed," the president added.

         If Pelindo II did not have adequate funds, it was told to invite investors.

         Indonesia must not delay construction of modern seaports in order to improve its competitiveness.

         "Congratulations for the completion of the construction of the first terminal. I order integrated operation, dwelling time reduction and eradication of illegal levies," Jokowi said.   
   The government has intensified the implementation of infrastructure development to reduce logistic and transportation costs, which are 2.5 times higher compared with other countries, due to illegal levies and prolonged processes.

    Jokowi is particularly concerned over dwelling time in Indonesia's seaports.

         The reduction of dwelling time in every Indonesian seaport was ordered two years ago to be around two days.

         "Two years ago, it was 6-7 days. Just now I asked the Pelindo II President Director and was told it is now 3.2 days here," he said.

    "The Transportation Minister (said) 3.7 (days). I asked for 2 point something (days). It must not stop in 3 (days). I asked for (dwelling time in) Belawan and Perak (seaports) be cut," he added.

         The president is particularly upset about the current dwelling time in Belawan port, which is 7-8 days, while, in fact, it has eight cranes.

        Jokowi has ordered the National Police Chief to investigate possible illegal levies at the seaport located in North Sumatra.

       The president said he will not tolerate perpetrators who collect illegal levies at the ports.   
    In the meantime, the total capacity of container terminals at the Tanjung Priok Seaport is expected to reach 11.5 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEUs) per year, following the completion of the New Priok Container Terminal (NPCT).

         President Director of Pelindo II Elvyn G Masassya said the current capacity of container terminals in Tanjung Priok Seaport is seven million TEUs per year.

           "It is expected that, by 2019, with the completion of the container terminals I, II, III and product terminals IV and VI, the total capacity will increase to 11.5 million TEUs," Elvyn said.

         The NPCT1 known as the Kalibaru container terminal, is ready to serve shipping container cargo needs.

         Although it was officially inaugurated on Sept. 13, its commercial operation started on August 18, 2016.

          The container and cargo capacity of Tanjung Priok has increased from five million TEUs per year in 2009-2010 to seven million TEUs per year.

        "The Kalibaru container terminal is expected to help deliver smooth shipping and cargo flows in domestic and international trade," Elvyn said.

         In the future, the IPC will build capacity, connectivity and maritime logistic integration, to improve Indonesia's trade and competitiveness globally, she said.

         The new terminal is expected to serve container ships having capacity of 13 thousand to 15 thousand TEUs and weighing over 15 thousand DWT.

        PT New Priok Container Terminal One, a subsidiary of IPC Group, will be the operator of the new terminal.

        NPCTI is built in phase 1 of the New Priok Terminal construction, comprising three new container terminals and two product terminals.

        Phase 2 of the New Priok Terminal Construction will be carried out after the operation of phase 1.

        As a whole, the New Priok project comprises seven container terminals and two product terminals on 411 hectares of land. ***1***
(f001/INE/o001)
EDITED BY INE

(T.F001/A/BESSR/O. Tamindael) 14-09-2016 14:45:38