Haryanto says Priok port to be computerized soon<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Tanjung Priok container port, which has
\nrecently undergone intensive restructuring, will soon introduce
\ncomputerization to improve services, Minister of Transportation
\nHaryanto Dhanutirto announced on Friday.<\/p>\n
The minister said that computerization would reduce personal
\ncontact between port officials and the users of port services.<\/p>\n
\"In the future, we can expect interaction to occur only
\nbetween people and equipment. This, in turn, will hopefully
\nreduce cases of illegal levies and collusion,\" Haryanto said, as
\nquoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
Haryanto, who was speaking during a visit to the port, did not
\nsay when the computerized systems would be operational. A model
\nof the integrated computerized service was completed last year.<\/p>\n
The minister revealed last year that illegal levies at the
\nport could be as high as Rp 260 million (US$119,156) per day.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Tanjung Priok port came under a barrage of
\ncriticism from its users, who claimed it was poorly managed and
\ncreaking under a heavy burden of red tape and poorly-coordinated
\ncargo-handling procedures. All of this meant lengthy waiting
\ntimes for ships and financial losses, they said.<\/p>\n
A number of overseas shipping lines, including the Asia North
\nAmerica Eastbound Rate Agreement (ANERA) group and the Intra Asia
\nDiscussion Agreement (IADA) forum, threatened in August to impose
\ncongestion surcharges on users of their services at the port.<\/p>\n
However, late last month the group announced that it had
\ndecided to postpone the surcharges because of considerable
\nimprovements in the port's services. Both are maintaining a \"wait
\nand see\" position, pending the completion of the port's 'crash'
\nreform programs.<\/p>\n
No lay-offs<\/p>\n
Haryanto gave assurances on Friday that the computerized
\nsystems -- which will be used in both the port's stevedoring and
\ncontainer terminal activities -- will not lead to mass dismissals
\nof employees of state-owned PT Pelabuhan Indonesia II, which
\ncurrently manages the port.<\/p>\n
\"Pelabuhan II still needs plenty of employees to handle the
\nadditional equipment and facilities for the expansion of the port
\nand container terminals, which are expected in the near future,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Haryanto said there would be coordination with other
\nministries.<\/p>\n
\"We are planning to construct a direct access road from the
\ntoll road to the port. That way, container trucks and trailers
\nwon't cause traffic congestion on the main roads,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Haryanto said the police have also been involved in ending
\nthefts which have reportedly been carried out from the containers
\nstacked at Tanjung Priok's terminals.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that the port's new \"one-roof policy\" has
\nsignificantly reduced red tape, lowering the number of waiting
\nships.<\/p>\n
\"Last month, 78 percent of incoming vessels recorded a zero
\nwaiting time,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A similar policy, he added, would also be implemented at other
\nharbors, such as Belawan in North Sumatra, Tanjung Perak in
\nSurabaya and Makassar in Ujungpandang.<\/p>\n
Pelabuhan II's president, A. Harbani, was quoted by Antara as
\nsaying that two additional container cranes would start operating
\nat Tanjung Priok's Container Terminal I (UTPK I) next month and
\nthat two new cranes would be introduced at Container Terminal II
\n(UTPK II) in the following month.<\/p>\n
Tanjung Priok, which currently operates 10 container cranes,
\nserves about 70 percent of the country's import and export
\nactivities.<\/p>\n
Over the last five years, the number of conventional and
\ncontainer vessels using the port increased by an average of six
\npercent per year, standing at 12,733 units last year.<\/p>\n
Cargo handling also increased by 12 percent in the same
\nperiod, with 26.8 million tons recorded last year. (pwn)<\/p>",
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