Posted on April 12, 2018
By Severianus Endi, The Jakarta Post
State-owned port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia II (Pelindo II) has said it spends Rp 70 billion (US$5.1 million) annually to dredge sediment from the Kapus River, the site of Pontianak Port in West Kalimantan.
“The high sedimentation rate of the Kapuas River has made us think about developing a new seaport,” Pelindo II corporate secretary Shanti Puruhita said on MOnday in Pontianak.
She said the high sedimentation rate was a problem, because the port was located in the inland city of Pontianak.
Pelindo II Pontianak general manager Adi Sugiri explained that the river had to be dredged every year, because the sedimentation hampered transportation by river, the backbone of distributing the people’s daily needs.
He added that because the seaport was sandwiched between the Kapuas River and a crowded residential area, it was unlikely the port could be expanded.
“Pontianak Port has good performance and is among the busiest ports in the country. We have a fully integrated loading and unloading system,” said Adi.
Shanti said that Pelindo II planned to develop a new seaport called the Pantai Kijing International Seaport in an area facing Singapore and close to Malaysia along an old shipping lane.
“It will become the largest seaport in Kalimantan to support the government’s Sea Toll Road policy,” she said.The adjacent area would be developed into a special economic zone where smelters and factories would be developed to manage local commodities.
Source: The Jakarta Post
