Haryanto says Priok port to be computerized soon

Haryanto says Priok port to be computerized soon

JAKARTA (JP): The Tanjung Priok container port, which has
recently undergone intensive restructuring, will soon introduce
computerization to improve services, Minister of Transportation
Haryanto Dhanutirto announced on Friday.

The minister said that computerization would reduce personal
contact between port officials and the users of port services.

"In the future, we can expect interaction to occur only
between people and equipment. This, in turn, will hopefully
reduce cases of illegal levies and collusion," Haryanto said, as
quoted by Antara.

Haryanto, who was speaking during a visit to the port, did not
say when the computerized systems would be operational. A model
of the integrated computerized service was completed last year.

The minister revealed last year that illegal levies at the
port could be as high as Rp 260 million (US$119,156) per day.

Earlier this year, Tanjung Priok port came under a barrage of
criticism from its users, who claimed it was poorly managed and
creaking under a heavy burden of red tape and poorly-coordinated
cargo-handling procedures. All of this meant lengthy waiting
times for ships and financial losses, they said.

A number of overseas shipping lines, including the Asia North
America Eastbound Rate Agreement (ANERA) group and the Intra Asia
Discussion Agreement (IADA) forum, threatened in August to impose
congestion surcharges on users of their services at the port.

However, late last month the group announced that it had
decided to postpone the surcharges because of considerable
improvements in the port's services. Both are maintaining a "wait
and see" position, pending the completion of the port's 'crash'
reform programs.

No lay-offs

Haryanto gave assurances on Friday that the computerized
systems -- which will be used in both the port's stevedoring and
container terminal activities -- will not lead to mass dismissals
of employees of state-owned PT Pelabuhan Indonesia II, which
currently manages the port.

"Pelabuhan II still needs plenty of employees to handle the
additional equipment and facilities for the expansion of the port
and container terminals, which are expected in the near future,"
he said.

Haryanto said there would be coordination with other
ministries.

"We are planning to construct a direct access road from the
toll road to the port. That way, container trucks and trailers
won't cause traffic congestion on the main roads," he said.

Haryanto said the police have also been involved in ending
thefts which have reportedly been carried out from the containers
stacked at Tanjung Priok's terminals.

He acknowledged that the port's new "one-roof policy" has
significantly reduced red tape, lowering the number of waiting
ships.

"Last month, 78 percent of incoming vessels recorded a zero
waiting time," he said.

A similar policy, he added, would also be implemented at other
harbors, such as Belawan in North Sumatra, Tanjung Perak in
Surabaya and Makassar in Ujungpandang.

Pelabuhan II's president, A. Harbani, was quoted by Antara as
saying that two additional container cranes would start operating
at Tanjung Priok's Container Terminal I (UTPK I) next month and
that two new cranes would be introduced at Container Terminal II
(UTPK II) in the following month.

Tanjung Priok, which currently operates 10 container cranes,
serves about 70 percent of the country's import and export
activities.

Over the last five years, the number of conventional and
container vessels using the port increased by an average of six
percent per year, standing at 12,733 units last year.

Cargo handling also increased by 12 percent in the same
period, with 26.8 million tons recorded last year. (pwn)