Cikalong port to boost economy in sout West Java
Cikalong port to boost economy in sout West Java
The Jakarta Post, Bandung
Among the 57 infrastructure projects offered in the West Java
Infrastructure Summit, which opened on Thursday, the Cikalong
port project in Tasikmalaya attracted the attention of many
potential investors.
The project is unique as it is located in the relatively
poorer area of the province along its southern coast, while most
projects were concentrated in the more advanced northern areas
such as Bandung and Bogor.
"I quoted Jeffrey Sachs who says that the answer to poverty is
ports and roads to ports," said Rio D. Praaning Prawira
Adiningrat, board member of consulting firm PA Asia Ltd -- an
affiliation to Brussels-based consultancy group Praaning Meines.
Sachs is a Professor of Economics and Director of the Earth
Institute at Columbia University and a prominent figure in the
global fight against poverty.
Rio said by building Cikalong port, the underdeveloped
southern region of West Java could well be opened up for further
investment and development.
The project, valued at approximately US$55 million, seeks to
establish a multi-functional port consisting of three major
components, namely, fish-processing, container feeder services
and a bulk terminal, said PA Asia's Wim de Herdt, who is the
advisor to the Tasikmalaya regency administration.
De Herdt told participants of the summit's working group on
ports that the project would enable local residents to take
advantage of the southern coast, which is a rich, yet largely
untapped fishing area due to the limited numbers of vessels and
harbors.
The single quay port could initially handle 1,000 20-feet
container (TEUs) per week and gradually increase to 10,000 TEUs a
week, he added.
The port could provide an attractive export-import alternative
route to the constantly congested port of Tanjung Priok in
Jakarta, as well as open up a maritime gate to or from Australia
or other countries.
"The Cikalong port project is the key to jump-starting the
development of the entire southern region of West Java," he said.
In closing his presentation, De Bert said that the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) had shown interest in the project.
Separately, ADB senior advisor Vladimir Bohun said that the
Cikalong project was a good example of a public-private
partnership and that such cooperation had to be increased.
"You can't reach poverty alleviation without sound economic
growth. But you can't have sound growth without good
infrastructure," Bohun told The Jakarta Post, while declining to
confirm his company's interest.
The province is offering a total of 57 infrastructure projects
valued at an estimated Rp 35 trillion (about $3.52 billion).