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