Pelni revenue drops in Sampit

Pelni revenue drops in Sampit

SAMPIT, Central Kalimantan: After more than a year, the impact
of ethnic conflict here last year continues to affect state sea
transportation company Pelni which has seen its revenue take a
nose dive.

Head of Pelni branch office in Sampit, East Kotawarigin
regency, Nana Suriana, said the number of passengers had declined
to between 50 percent and 64 percent for Semarang and Surabaya
destinations.

The decline in the number of passengers has caused the company
to suffer Rp 38.25 million and Rp 41.25 million in losses in each
trip.

Private sea transportation companies have shared the bad luck.
One of the firms, Prima Vista, has terminated its operation in
Sampit and moved to Kumai in the neighboring regency of West
Kotawaringin.

Like Pelni, surviving private firm Dharma Lautan Utama has
moved some of its vessels to Kumai. The private company's
operational division head, Abib, said its ships now made a stop
in Sampit thrice a month.

Hundreds were killed a year ago in one of the bloodiest ethnic
conflicts in the country's history, which involved native Dayak
and Madurese migrants. -- Antara