Transportation Ministry Plans to Revitalize 2 Ports in Riau and Riau Islands

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Transportation Ministry plans to further develop Port Dumai in Riau Province and Port Selat Lampa in Riau Islands Province in order to make the most of the potential and functions of the two facilities. Even though they both have the same name, namely Riau, the Riau and the Riau Islands are different regions.

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi made the statement during his visit to the provinces on Thursday (February 8). "In Dumai, I learned that the port wields huge potential. However, its function has not been maximized. It should be noted that the volume of people's mobility from and to Malaysia via the port is quite high," he noted in a statement received from the Transportation Ministry in Jakarta on Friday.

To that end, he instructed state-owned port management company PT Pelindo to conduct revitalization works to revamp Dumai Port, including by conducting pond dredging and expanding the capacity of the port's passenger terminal.

After his visit to Dumai Port, Minister Sumadi headed to Port Selat Lampa in Natuna District, Riau Islands, where he called for the construction of terminals as well as an area dedicated to containers.

"Based on my observation, Selat Lampa Port has the potential since its waters are deep and calm. For that reason, we have agreed to build a terminal for passengers of trailblazer ships and prepare a land dedicated to containers," he pointed out.

The minister then drew attention to the level of accessibility of Selat Lampa Port, emphasizing the need to make the port more accessible in order to optimize its functions.

Hence, to that end, Sumadi stated that the Transportation Ministry would work along with the Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry and other relevant stakeholders to address the issue.

"We will assess the port's accessibility and collaborate with the PUPR Ministry to resolve the problem," he affirmed.

Selat Lampa Port is located on Natuna Islands, a highly strategic region of Indonesia that sits on international shipping routes that connect nine countries.

Under the leadership of President Joko Widodo, the Indonesian Government has been striving to actualize equitable development for all regions of Indonesia, including those situated in the country's frontiers, such as Natuna Islands.

ANTARA

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