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Investor Daily - Kemenhub lepas pelayaran perdana angkutan tol laut
19 January 2024
Jakarta, ID – The Transportation Ministry through the Sea Transportation Directorate General is launching the maiden voyage of a maritime highway ship operated by PT Pelni, KM Logistik Nusantara 3.
Special Staff to the Transportation Minister in the field of Inter-Institutional Relations Buyung Lalana said that the maiden voyage brought 115 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo consisting of rice, cooking oil, and sugar to Tidore and Jailolo.
“The cargo includes basic needs and essentials, such as rice, cooking oil, and sugar. The cargo bound for Tidore reaches 77 TEUs and for Jailolo 38 TEUs,” Buyung Lalana said in his statement in Jakarta on Thursday (18/1/2024).
KM Logistik Nusantara 3 is set to operate along the T-6 route, serving areas in North Maluku, including Tanjung Perak, Jailolo, Tidore, and Tanjung Perak in a circular route.
He hopes that maritime highway transportation will be able to fulfil basic needs and necessities in North Maluku, thereby enhancing economic growth in the region through the return cargo facilitated by maritime highway transportation.
“Hence, we also hope that all parties can play an active role, including institutions and regional governments. So, they can collaborate to optimise the public service for sea freight transportation,” he revealed.
The inauguration of the maiden voyage of the maritime highway ship in Surabaya on Tuesday (16/1) was also attended by the Expert Personnel of the Transportation Minister in the Field of Sea Transportation and Maritime Affairs as well as the representative from the Trade Ministry and the Industry Ministry from the Trade and Logistics Facilities Directorate of the Trade Ministry, Indra Maulana.
The Trade Ministry appreciates the Transportation Ministry’s step as they have been consistent in implementing the maritime highway programme in underdeveloped, outermost, frontier, and border (3TP) areas.
“Furthermore, besides maintaining the availability of goods, the current maritime highway programme also reduces prices by 11%-12% in eastern Indonesia,” Indra Maulana, a representative from the Trade and Logistics Facilities Directorate of the Trade Ministry, said.
Transportation Minister Regulation Number 4 of 2018 on the Administration of Public Service Obligation in Sea Freight Transportation was introduced to guarantee the availability of sea cargo transportation with set routes and schedules. It also guarantees the availability of basic needs and necessities, especially in 3TP regions. Besides that, the programme is also expected to reduce the price disparity between Java and regions outside of Java.
Previously, PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia (Persero) or Pelni stated that they were ready to operate the maritime highway. PT Pelni Secretariat Head said that, as the operator of the maritime highway ships serving 10 of the 39 routes set by the government, the company could realise a high load factor on these routes.
“The highest load factor on PT Pelni’s maritime highway is on route T28 covering Kupang – Wangapu – Labuan Bajo – Reo – Merauke – Atapupu/Wini – Kupang. The total cargo volume for both departure and return on this route reaches 2,284 TEUs with departing cargo reaching 1,756 TEUs and return cargo reaching 528 TEUs,” Evan added.
