TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

New ports to boost connectivity, equality

Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan has launched the development of 20 non-commercial seaports and 10 airports that are expected to help boost connectivity and economic equality throughout the country, the biggest economy in Southeast Asia

Nadya Natahadibrata (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, December 22, 2014

Share This Article

Change Size

New ports to boost connectivity, equality

T

ransportation Minister Ignasius Jonan has launched the development of 20 non-commercial seaports and 10 airports that are expected to help boost connectivity and economic equality throughout the country, the biggest economy in Southeast Asia.

'€œWith better connection between the country'€™s islands, we expect to see economic equality across the archipelago,'€ Ignasius said during the launch on Friday at his office.

Of the new seaports five are located in the western part of the country, eight in the central region and the remaining seven in the country'€™s east.

The Transportation Ministry has allocated a total of Rp 1 trillion (US$79.9 million) from the state budget since 2005 to develop the 20 non-commercial seaports, including Kalatoa in South Sulawesi, Malenge in Central Sulawesi, Paniti in North Maluku, Melano in West Kalimantan, Karimun Jawa in Central Java and Pokai in West Sumatra, according to the Transportation Ministry'€™s dredging project and port operation director Adolf Tambunan.

The 10 airport facilities launched by Jonan include new terminals at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali and Mutiara Sis Al-Jufri Airport in Palu, Central Sulawesi.

The total investment required to build the new domestic terminal at Ngurah Rai airport, which was fully funded by state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura I, amounted to Rp 2.8 trillion. The terminal began operations in September.

Meanwhile, the construction of the new terminal at Mutiara Sis
Al- Jufri, which cost Rp 180 billion, was fully funded by the state budget. The terminal started operations in April.

The remaining eight new airports launched by the minister are all non-commercial airports, namely Enggano in Bengkulu, Bone in South Sulawesi, Tanjung Api in Central Sulawesi, Karel Sadsuitubun and Jos Orno Imsula in Maluku, Waghete and Stevanus Rumbewas in Papua and Matahora in Central Sulawesi.

The airports will serve pioneering routes and can only accommodate small aircraft such as the ATR 72 600 and C-22/Grand Caravan.

Over the next five years, the new administration is planning to develop 24 commercial seaports with a total investment reaching Rp 700 trillion, as part of President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo'€™s maritime highway initiative, which will see new maritime routes connecting the country'€™s east and west with scheduled traffic that is charged at a fixed rate.

The government is also planning to construct 15 new airports across the archipelago by 2019, as well as lengthen the runway of eight existing non-commercial airports to allow larger jets to access the country'€™s remote areas.

The airports that will have longer runways are Rembele Airport in Aceh, Blimbingsari in East Java, Komodo Airport in East Nusa Tenggara, Tojo Una-Una Airport in Central Sulawesi, Kuabang Kao Airport in North Maluku, Ibra Airport in Maluku, New Saumlaki Airport in Maluku and Dekai Airport in Papua.

Following the extension from 2,000-meter to 2,250-m runways, the airports will be able to accommodate Boeing 737s.

The increased connectivity is also expected to reduce Indonesia'€™s high logistics costs and in turn make domestic products more affordable and competitive. At 23.6 percent of GDP, Indonesia'€™s logistics costs are among the highest in the region and among the nation'€™s trading partners, which include Malaysia at 15 percent, Japan (10.6 percent), South Korea (16.3 percent) and the US (9.9 percent), according to government data.

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.