Sempati to link Belitung and Singapore

JAKARTA (JP): Sempati Air and Pecatu Indah Group, both controlled by businessman Hutomo (Tommy) Mandala Putra, signed an agreement here yesterday to develop tourism in Belitung, an island off South Sumatra.

Sempati's president, Santun Nainggolan, and Pecatu subsidiary PT Putra Ciptawahana Sejati's (Ranati) president, Made G. Putrawan, signed the deal here to improve and develop Belitung's tourism infrastructure.

"Sempati is pleased to partner Ranati. Sempati will offer direct flights between Jakarta, Belitung and Singapore," Nainggolan said.

But he could not say when Sempati would start direct flights between Belitung and Singapore.

"The agreement is based on commercial rationale and not because Ranati and Sempati are controlled by the same owner. We will lose out to other companies, such as Silkair, if we don't start cooperating right now."

Buluhtumbang airport in Belitung is served only by domestic carrier Merpati Nusantara. It flies the Jakarta-Tanjung Pandan route once a day. Merpati also runs Palembang-Tanjung Pandan- Pangkalpinang (Bangka island) return services four times a week.

Ranati is developing a 1,070-hectare resort in Belitung, called the Belitung Indah Resort. Pecatu is developing a 650- hectare Pecatu Indah Resort in Bali.

Putrawan said that construction began in Belitung last January.

Belitung Indah Resort, the first of its kind on the island, is on the island's north-eastern coast.

"We are still looking for investors to develop hotels at the resort. International hotel chains like Club Med and Sheraton have expressed interest in managing hotels on the island," Putrawan said yesterday.

He said Ranati would promote the resort in Singapore in an attempt to find partners.

State-owned telecommunications provider PT Telkom has installed about 3,000 telephone lines on the island, but there are still few public phones.

About 4,000 domestic and 500 overseas tourists visited the island last year, according to Tanjung Pandan administration. (icn)