President Jokowi Inaugurates Arrangement of Wani, Pantoloan Ports in C. Sulawesi

President Jokowi inaugurates rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Wani and Pantoloan ports in Central Sulawesi province, (03/27) (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo Wednesday (03/27) inaugurated the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Wani and Pantoloan ports at the area of Palu bay in Central Sulawesi province.

President Jokowi highlighted the importance of ports to support and boost the Indonesian economy.

“We all know that two-thirds of our country is covered by water – seas and oceans. Thus, maritime and ports serve as a key to the development of our country’s economy as well as important for the mobility of goods and people,” he said.

For the record, the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Wani and Pantoloan ports are carried out considering that the ports were affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Palu in 2018. The project was funded by the Asian Development Bank with a value of Rp233 billion and aimed to enhance the capacity of port services as a hub for logistic activities, improve regional connectivity, and boost economic activities in Central Sulawesi province.

On that occasion, President Jokowi went on to say that the operational planning of Roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ships from Central Sulawesi province to East Kalimantan province must be realized to support the development of the Nusantara Capital (IKN).

“I agree with that plan, considering that many construction materials, including stones and sand, are from Central Sulawesi. Almost all of them. The value is not just a billion, but a trillion. So, the development in East Kalimantan will also bring benefit to Central Sulawesi,” he added.

Furthermore, the President also said that it is vital to strengthen Indonesia’s port facilities to compete internationally while underscoring that ports need to be reinforced with service standards, management standards, and technological standards, as well as equipped with integrated logistics services and other transportation modes to ensure faster and more efficient services.

“Facilities in ports must be improved. Our ports must be able to compete with other ports in other countries,” he remarked. (FID/UN) (AP/LW)