Gov’t Seeks to Improve Throughput in Tanjung Priok Port

Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi inspects services in the Tanjung Priok Port Area on Sunday (6/10). Photo by: (PR of Ministry of Transportation)

The Government seeks to increase container loading and unloading services (throughput) in the Tanjung Priok Port Area to 8 million TEUs this year, after reaching 7.5 million TEUs in 2018.

“Hopefully next year it will increase from 7.5 million to 8 million and will continue to increase. Of course we must reduce costs,” Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi said when inspecting the Koja Container Terminal in the Tanjung Priok Port Area on Sunday (6/10).

The Minister also expressed his optimism that the increase in throughput can still be continued to reach 10-12 million TEUs per year, in line with the capacity (of the Port).

“It is possible to increase it to 10-12 million and there is no need to expand the port capacity. What needs to be done is to ensure the ports in Surabaya, Makasssar, and Palembang are integrated with this Port. Thus, the large ships will come more frequently,” Budi explained.

The increase in throughput, he added, would be supported by the service of loading and unloading on weekends (Saturday and Sunday). The service improvement is needed to ensure the loading and unloading flow does not accumulate on Thursday and Friday.

“The existing condition is that the (loading and unloading of) goods were relatively not optimal on Saturday-Sunday, so I have asked the team to activate (the process) on Saturday-Sunday,” Budi said.

Budi went on to say that if the service is available, the loading and unloading process can be conducted 2-3 times a week and the congestion would be reduced.

Budi also applauded the reduction of dwelling time which has dropped to an average of 2.4 day. (PR of Ministry of Transportation /ES)

Translated by: Ridwan Ibadurrohman
Edited by: Yuyu Mulyani