Depapre Port: The Future of the Asia Pacific Trade Area

The Depapre Port is planned to be the gateway to the Asia Pacific trade area as well as relations to the East Indonesia region in order to stimulate the economy in Jayapura Regency, Minister of Transportation Budi Karya recently said. Located in Tanah Merah Bay and facing the Pacific Ocean, a port which is 27 km from the capital, Sentani has potential as an international trade area in the future.

To note, the total trade between Indonesia and the Pacific region in 2018 was recorded at USD 10.67 billion. This figure is up 3.05 percent compared to the previous year which was recorded at USD10.37 billion. In the January-March 2019 period, Indonesia's total trade with the Pacific region was recorded at USD 2.04 billion. Indonesia's largest export destinations to the Pacific region are Australia, New Zealand, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji. Indonesia's main export products to the Pacific region are electronic components, palm oil, tires and tobacco. Meanwhile, Indonesia's imports from the Pacific region are bituminous coal, livestock products, wheat, iron ore concentrate, and raw sugar.
 
Meanwhile, the former chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, John M. Kabey, welcomed the Central Government's plan. ''If economic matters are stomach matters, ports are mouths'', he said philosophically, according to him the Ministry of Industry as the gateway for Asia-Pacific international trade directs us to great opportunities as for opportunities that will grow apart from industrial and trade growth, namely investment opportunities.

"It will depend a lot on ship tariffs or counterloads, so the control function on the price of goods will give birth to new industries such as agriculture, fisheries and even job opportunities," he explained.

The infrastructure facilities can grow the economy which has an impact on land and sea routes. One of the preparations is to build a transit warehouse. Thus the opportunity for economic growth through preparations must be prepared by the local government and the private sector.

In addition to the problem of facilities and infrastructure, this middle-aged man who is familiarly called the General said that the Government needs to address the development of Human Resources properly. "There needs to be seriousness from the local government in this regard, especially preparing skilled human resources from the surrounding community and socialization so that in the future there will be no social problems that hinder the progress of this program," he said.

As is known, Wednesday, January 27, 2021, has become a historic day for the people of Papua, especially Jayapura Regency, Papua. Because, for the first time the Depapre Container Port is functioning. And since last December 4, the port located in Tanah Merah Bay, Jayapura, will regularly receive "guests", namely KM Sabuk Nusantara (Sanus) 100 which is a follow-up to the approval of the Ministry of Transportation on the proposal of PT PELNI (Persero) for deviation ( read: additional routes) the Sanus 100 ship, before docking at Yos Sudarso Port, Jayapura City, first stopped at the Depapre Port.

SOURCE: https://www.nokenlive.com/2022/02/03/pelabuhan-depapre-masa- Depan-kawasan-dagang-asia-pacific/