An aerial view of Tanjung Priok port, Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, Indonesia. (Image via: BeritaSatu.com)

For the Sake of Export, Tanjung Priok JICT and Port to Open 24/7

Alfonsus Adi Putra
Market & Investment
Export Import
Jul 09, 2019
2392
JAKARTA - It is not inhumane. In order to boost Indonesian export, Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation stated that Tanjung Priok Port and JICT would operate 24/7. The request was made after a meeting held at Type A Customs Office in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, Sunday (7/7). The Minister of Transportation, Budi Karya Sumadi, said that all along, Tanjung Priok Port had been operating all day long, but not for a week.

Tanjung Priok Port is indeed known to be the “opening gate” for international trading between Indonesia and foreign countries, especially in terms of export and import.

Therefore, the request for non-stop service was not without reason. Sumadi pointed out that Indonesian export is weakening. In May 2019, Indonesian export only tabulated US$14.74 billion, an 8.99% decrease compared to the amount from May 2018, according to the data released by Indonesia’s Central Bureau of Statistics.

Fortunately, the amount of US$14.74 billion was a raise compared to April 2019 since the import rate also decreased to US$14.54 billion, a 5.62% decrease. Therefore, Indonesia’s balance of trade experienced US$210 million surpluses, compared to April 2019, when the deficit of the balance of trade reached US$2.5 billion.

However, Sumadi stated that Indonesia must not let its guard down since the balance of trade for January-May 2019 is still facing a deficit of US$2.14 billion.

Budi Karya Sumadi hopes that by initializing the 24/7 service, the activities of export and import can be smoother. In order to implement the request to reality, he estimated that the transition from the previous schedule (24/5) to the updated schedule (24/7) and the announcement for all related parties would take approximately 6 months.

Head of Authority of Tanjung Priok Port, Hermanta, stated that usually banks operating in the port only open on workdays. However, with the online services and the new regulation, it is possible that these banks need to stay open even on weekends. Furthermore, the minister already held a joint meeting with the board of directors of BNI, BCA, and Mandiri.

Source: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/ekonomi/20190708221144-92-410338/dorong-ekspor-pelabuhan-tanjung-priok-bakal-buka-24-jam

Market , Export , Import , Indonesia , Jakarta , Port , 24/7