Ministry of Transportation Continues to Open New Sea Toll Routes

The Directorate General of Sea Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) continues to optimize and accelerate the marine highway program by adding new routes. This was done as an effort to reduce the disparity in the price of goods between the western and eastern parts of Indonesia.

Director of Traffic and Sea Transportation Capt. Antoni Arif Priyadi said that so far the eastern Indonesia region has experienced quite high price disparities. This is due to the high cost of logistics distribution from producing areas to these areas.
 
"This is what underlies the birth of the maritime highway program with the aim of cutting logistics costs so that prices received by the community as end users are not too expensive and there is inter-regional connectivity," Antoni said, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, February 17, 2021.

He said the sea toll route initially only had two routes in 2015. Over time, the routes continued to increase because the community had already felt the benefits of the sea highway.
 
In 2016 there were six routes and 2017, there were 13 new sea toll routes. Then, in 2018 it increased to 18 routes. In 2019 the route will increase to 20 routes and in 2020 it will increase to 26 routes. The increase in the number of routes is always accompanied by an increase in the number of ports and ships.
 
"For 2021, the Directorate General of Sea Relations will add four new routes, bringing the total to 30 routes. Involves 106 ports, consisting of nine port bases and 97 transit ports," he said.
 
Based on data from the Ministry of Trade, the people in the areas that are passed by the sea highway have enjoyed a decrease in the price of goods between 20-30 percent.
 
From these data, it shows that the maritime highway program has succeeded in reducing the price disparity that has ensnared people, especially in eastern Indonesia as well as disadvantaged, remote, outermost and border areas (3TP).
 
He continued, to help eastern Indonesia free from price disparities, it is necessary to have continuous, permanent and regular shipping through the implementation of freight transportation at sea to all parts of Indonesia.
 
This was answered by the addition of a new sea highway route with code T-19 in Papua which was served by the assignment of a ship belonging to PT Pelni, namely Ship Logistik Nusantara 2.
 
As for the reasons for determining the route based on Presidential Instruction No. 9 of 2020 concerning the Acceleration of Welfare Development in Papua and West Papua Provinces.
 
He also hopes that the presence of this new route can be a means to market local production in the form of agricultural or plantation products as well as fishery products to be transported via this ship to more profitable market destinations.
 
It was explained that the sea highway route opened new ports, including Kokas in Fak Fak Regency, Korido in Supriori Regency and Depapre in Jayapura Regency in the context of Ships Promote the Trade.
 
"With the sea highway route in the Papua region, it is hoped that it will be able to improve port service capabilities so that it can smooth the flow of goods, reduce logistics costs and increase equity in the 3TP area," he explained.
 
Merauke Regency, through the Merauke Port Authority and Harbormaster Office (KSOP), will start 2021 with the opening of the T-19 sea toll route, which delivers essential staple goods from northern Papua to southern Papua.

Source: https://www.medcom.id/ekonomi/bisnis/PNgYrq9k-kemenhub-terus-buka-trayek-baru-tol-laut