Quick removal of containers encouraged

Quick removal of containers encouraged

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto has told the Ministry of
Transportation to force owners of containers at Tanjung Priok
port to remove their containers immediately after arrival to
reduce the pile-up.

Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto said yesterday
the President had asked him to reduce the congestion at the
port's container terminal.

"Many container owners delay picking up their containers from
the terminal for as long as six days, as they are only charged a
one-day fee. This causes congestion at the terminal," Haryanto
said after a meeting with the President.

Existing regulations say imported containers are allowed to
stay up to six days at the port with a one-day charge, but from
the seventh day owners have to pay a daily parking fee.

Haryanto said that usually only 10 percent of containers were
removed on the day they arrive. The number declined to 2 percent
on the second day, and 0.9 percent on the third day, he said.

On the fourth day the average container outflow rose to 11.7
percent, while on the fifth day it could reach 61 percent, he
said.

The pile-up poses problems for the 596-hectare container
terminal's management.

At yesterday's meeting, Haryanto and Jakarta's Governor
Surjadi Soedirdja reported to the President on the progress of
the reclamation project along the city's North Jakarta coast.

The Tanjung Priok port will be expanded to 1,668 hectares.

The expansion would increase the port's receiving capacity to
six million TEUS (twenty feet equivalent units) a year from 1.8
million TEUS, he said.

The port will then be able to handle general cargo of about
170,000 tons a day, he said. (das)