Significant improvements seen at Priok port<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto
\nsays that significant improvements have been made at Jakarta's
\nTanjung Priok port as a result of the port management's "crash"
\nprogram, which began in June.<\/p>\n
Shipping line owners, however, say that PT Pelabuhan Indonesia
\nII, the state-owned company managing Tanjung Priok, can still do
\na lot to bring the port's services and facilities up to higher
\nstandards so that they won't have to impose congestion surcharges
\non port users.<\/p>\n
Haryanto, after meeting with President Soeharto at the Merdeka
\nPalace yesterday, told reporters that the prolonged waiting time
\nof incoming ships, which caused major complaints among shipping
\nlines earlier this year, has been "significantly reduced".<\/p>\n
"The percentage of ships coming in at zero waiting time has
\nincreased and that of those with a long waiting time has
\ndecreased," he said.<\/p>\n
Container vessels which berthed at Tanjung Priok at zero
\nwaiting time accounted for only 12 percent in May, he said,
\nwhereas by Aug. 24 the figure had increased to 44 percent.<\/p>\n
Cargo-handling at Tanjung Priok's conventional port has
\nimproved markedly, Haryanto said. In May, for instance, the
\naverage production level recorded at the conventional port was
\n35,906 tons per day. He said that the level had increased to
\n52,969 tons per day by August.<\/p>\n
At the container port, however, the performance of cargo-
\nhandling services still fluctuated due to inadequate container
\ncrane facilities, he added.<\/p>\n
"But, judging from the average productivity, which increased
\nfrom 2,495 boxes per day in May to 2,699 in August, this is a
\nsignificant improvement," he said.<\/p>\n
The management of Tanjung Priok came under fire earlier this
\nyear after its users complained of inefficiencies at the port
\nleading to prolonged waiting times for ships.<\/p>\n
Surcharge<\/p>\n
Shipping lines threatened to impose a "Jakarta Port Congestion
\nSurcharge" to compensate them for the losses caused through the
\ninefficiency. They subsequently decided to postpone the
\nintroduction of the surcharge, opting to "wait and see" what the
\nresults of the crash program promised by Pelabuhan II would be.<\/p>\n
T. Tadano, local chairman of the Intra Asia Discussion
\nAgreement (IADA) forum, which consists of 44 shipping lines from
\nthe Asia-Pacific region, described improvements at the port as
\n"not significant."<\/p>\n
Following a meeting between Pelabuhan II and a number of
\nforeign shipping conferences on Aug. 16, he said, shipping
\ncompanies asked Pelabuhan II to continue making improvements.<\/p>\n
IADA, together with the Asia North America Eastbound Rate
\nAgreement (ANERA) group of shipping lines, recently announced a
\npostponement of port congestion surcharges, which they had
\ninitially planned to start on Sept. 1.<\/p>\n
ANERA decided to hold back until Oct. 1 and IADA until Nov. 1.<\/p>\n
Tadano said that shipping companies also requested Pelabuhan
\nII maintain "window contracts," which are revised on a yearly
\nbasis.<\/p>\n
The contracts, he said, ensure shipping lines a predesignated
\nspace, day and time on which to berth regularly at the port,
\nbased on a long-term schedule submitted beforehand by the
\nshipping companies.<\/p>\n
"Presently, however, a shipping company holding a window
\ncontract is often delayed because it's space has been occupied by
\nvessels of other companies. Pelabuhan II must make clear
\npriorities for such contract holders," he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He added that, under present conditions, it is also impossible
\nfor new window contracts to be added, because of inadequate
\nspace.<\/p>\n
"If we are delayed at one port, this will disrupt our
\nschedules -- and window contracts -- at all other ports," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
According to Tadano, port congestion surcharges are currently
\nimposed by most shipping lines on four African ports in Lobito,
\nRwanda, Namibe and Santos; six in Europe and Northern Africa,
\nincluding Algeria, Istanbul and Tripoli; three in the Gulf,
\nincluding Hodeidah port; and three in China, including Dalian.
\n(pwn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/significant-improvements-seen-at-priok-port-1447893297",
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