About 5,000 containers without clear status and ownership are currently piling up at the Tanjung Priok port, an association says.
Indonesian Association of Importers and Exporters (GINSI) chairman Amiruddin Saud said the association estimated around 5,000 containers currently remained unloaded at the port.
"Some of them have been there for two, five and even ten years," Amiruddin said as quoted by Antara news agency Thursday.
"It is no longer clear who owns the containers."
Amiruddin said that under the current regulation, the government owned the containers 30 days after their arrival if they were not handled by their owners or importers.
"The government should have decided on these container status a long time ago. They can be sold through an auction. Many people will need these containers for across-island shipments," he said, adding the containers could also be used for emergency housing.
The containers need to be removed immediately to pave the way for thousands of incoming containers from all over the world, he said.
Businessmen believed the containers were abandoned after authorities suspected the content to have been smuggled or underinvoiced -- a practice of not reporting the true amount or the type of the goods. -- JP/Alfian
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