PT PAL gains $1.3b contracts

PT PAL gains $1.3b contracts

SURABAYA (JP): The state-owned shipbuilding company, PT PAL,
has received US$1.3 billion worth of orders for 30 ships of
various sizes for delivery until 1999, a senior executive said
yesterday.

PAL's senior executive president, Suleman Wiriadidjaja, made
the remark at the launching of an 18,500 DWT bulk carrier ordered
by Britain's Stephenson Clarke Shipping Ltd., at Ujung Surabaya

"Of the 30 ships, four, each with a 45,000 DWT capacity, were
ordered by Germany, five container ships by state-owned Djakarta
Lloyd, two tankers each of 17.500 DWT by Pertamina, four Caraka
general freighters by the state-owned Pelindo port management
company and nine fast patrol boats by the customs office,"
Suleman said.

Suleman said the whole building process of the ship was done
by Indonesian technicians, except for the basic design work,
which was undertaken by a British company, Lake Hayes Investment
Ltd.

The chairman of Stephenson Clarke Shipping Ltd., Geoffrey
Walker, told The Jakarta Post that his company had ordered two
ships from PAL because of the good quality and design, reasonable
price, fast delivery and reliable technology provided by the
shipyard. (/15/06)