ICAC linkups to improve air cargo services

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesia Air Cargo Agents Club (ICAC) signed on Thursday memorandum of understanding agreements with Soewarna Commercial Park, the Association of Indonesian Express Services (Asperindo) and PT Aplikanusa Lintasarta (Lintasarta) to optimize the quality and competitiveness of their cargo services.

ICAC's chairman Jan Ramli said under the agreement the Soewarna Commercial Park, an integrated business district located within the Soekarno-Hatta Airport complex, would facilitate all ICAC member needs.

The nearly completed 102-hectare commercial park, due for completion in the year 2000, will create advantages for ICAC members as a result of the prime location, office space and warehouse facilities, he said.

The commercial park is owned and developed by PT Sanggraha Daksamitra, a subsidiary of Japan's Nisso Iwai Corporation. The park will offer integrated warehouses, office buildings, factory outlets, an export commodity center, retail opportunities, an 18- hole golf course, a restaurant and the five-star Sheraton Bandara Hotel.

Asperindo's chairman Rudy Pesik said under the agreement his company would cooperate with ICAC in the field of education and organization development.

"Cooperation is necessary to improve our efficiency, our human resources, our assets and technologies in order to strengthen our position, as we face tight competition in this free trade era," he said.

Lintasarta's president Taufik Akbar said under the agreement, his organization and ICAC would jointly develop a national distribution center to provide a cargo community service to Indonesian cargo agents.

He said services would include airline reservation computerization services, electronic communications with international airlines and services to track delivery of goods.

Minister of Communications Giri Suseno Hadihardjono said the new agreements would enable Indonesian cargo businesses to be more competitive.

"In the free trade era, the most competitive products are products of high quality and low cost. To be more competitive, Indonesian cargo businesses have to lower their costs by making their activities more efficient.

"Cooperating with related parties who provide facilities to speed up the flow of goods, such as warehousing facilities, hotels, retail and communications (organizations) will reduce costs and in the end make our services more competitive."

Giri said the total cargo volume in Indonesia declined 7 percent in 1998 to 297,000 tons from 300,000 tons in 1997 due to the economic crisis.

Over 50 percent of airfreight left from Soekarno Hatta Airport, making it necessary to develop the airport with supporting facilities, including a commercial park.

The minister believed cargo volume would surge in the future, in line with a recovery in the country's economy. (gis)