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)