PT PAL hands over 'Alugara' to govt

SURABAYA: State-owned ship maker PT PAL Indonesia handed over on Friday the marine disaster mitigation ship the Alugara to the Ministry of Transportation's Directorate General of Sea Transportation.

The 60-meter-long ship has a maximum speed of 18.3 knots. Its construction was jointly financed by the directorate general and two Japanese firms, Tomen Corp. and Takeshi Matsushita.

The ship, the building of which cost Rp 2.4 billion (US$244,900), will be operated in Belitung, North Sulawesi, to monitor Indonesian waters, including against environmental damage.

Minister of Transportation Hatta Radjasa said the government would order four more vessels from PT PAL for the same purpose. -- JP