BANDUNG, November 13 (EngineeringDaily) -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has promised to build 24 new main ports across the country over the next five years. In order to make the necessary preparations to realize this plan, Jokowi visited the Pacific International Container Port in Tianjin, China, one of the busiest ports in the world, to get a firsthand look at how a major port operates.
"We went to Tianjin because this is one of the largest ports. The direction of port development in Tianjin has been ongoing over a period of 50 years, and the next 100 years are already planned as well. We can learn a lot from Tianjin," Jokowi said while giving a briefing to the Chambers of Commerce of the Indonesia and China Forum in Beijing.
Jokowi added that the government will also build a power plant near the port and develop an industrial park adjacent to it. "Almost all the ports in China are integrated with power plants and industrial parks. This concept makes logistics costs in China very low and the operations of each port very efficient," he said.
The Indonesian government will initiate execution of this plan starting next year. The funds will be taken from the state budget, and private companies will also be invited to invest. "Possibly next year we will build 4 ports. The cost of building one port is estimated at Rp 70 trillion (USD 5.8 billion)," said Jokowi, so the involvement of investors will be key in determining how quickly the project can proceed.
By Isamil Al Anshori
