ASDP Pushes for PSO Certainty to Support Rp23.4 Trillion Fleet Investment
Bisnis.com, JAKARTA — PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) requires investment of around Rp23.4 trillion over the next five years for the procurement of 46 new vessels and the chartering of some 50 ships. The scale of the investment has led the company to urge the government to provide funding certainty for pioneer ferry services through a public service obligation (PSO) scheme.
ASDP President Director Heru Widodo said the investment need is driven by the company’s increasingly ageing fleet, which requires capable new tonnage amid increasingly fierce competition in the ferry business.
“Our investment over the next five years is very large, Rp23.4 trillion to build new ships and charter 50 vessels that we will later distribute across several routes,” said Heru recently.
He explained that the investment covers the construction of 46 new vessels, comprising 18 ships to support the long distance ferry (LDF) strategy, 15 ships to strengthen 14 existing crossings, and 13 ships as part of a fleet rejuvenation programme.
In addition, ASDP is planning 55 projects at 35 ports, whether revitalisations, new builds, or partnerships with collaborators. Heru stressed that the Rp23.49 trillion figure represents the total project value, not the company’s cash spending requirement.
Heru also explained that the investment will be funded through a combination of internal cash and financing support from Danantara. However, for pioneer ferry services that are not yet commercially viable, ASDP believes a more certain financing mechanism through a PSO scheme is needed.
“So that public service funding has better certainty and is sustainable,” he added.
Heru argued that pioneer ferry services not only connect the islands but also underpin community mobility, logistics distribution, and access to education, healthcare and economic activity.
Bisnis notes that Minister of Transport Dudy Purwagandhi has assured that pioneer transport services will continue operating until the end of the year despite the budget constraints facing the government.
“Pioneer services will continue to be carried out until the fiscal year ends. So, given the budget situation, we are working around it, and most importantly, services will not stop,” he said.
According to Dudy, the Ministry of Transport conducts daily monitoring of vessel operations, sailing schedules and cargo capacity. Coordination with operators, port administrators, regional governments and relevant agencies has also been strengthened to ensure services continue running.
In the long term, the ministry believes pioneer transport services require stronger funding support, improved fleet and port infrastructure quality, integration of the national logistics system, better intermodal connectivity, and regular evaluation of route networks to keep them aligned with community needs and regional economic development.