Indonesian Maritime Highway Yet to Boost Local Economies
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2 October 2019 18:28 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The maritime highway introduced under President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration has yet boosted the participation of local economies. This was revealed in an evaluation meeting held by the Transportation Ministry on the country’s sea highways (sea toll).
“The program has yet to improve the local economy’s participation. We shall look into the problem in the future; whether the problem lies with the entrepreneurs, logistics, or something else,” said the Transportation Ministry’s special minister of economy and investments Wihana Kirana Jaya at the Pullman Hotel in Jakarta, Wednesday, October 2.
Wihana explained that the future of the sea highway must be integrated with local commodity economies, the business dynamics of harbors, and hinterland connectivity. Especially considering the economic subsidies for operators.
The government is currently building 20 sea toll routes based on a study by the Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember Institute (ITS) in 2018. The focus of these developments is currently focused on Indonesia’s western regions.
CAESAR AKBAR
