Transportation Ministry To Build 188 Ships For Sea Toll Project

Jakarta (Antara Bali)- The transportation ministry's sea transportation directorate general will build 188 ships to support the sea toll project in accordance with the government's maritime axis program.

The ship building plan would be financed through multi-year funding from 2015 to 2017, Sea Transportation Director General Bobby R. Mamahit stated at a press conference, here, recently.

"This is the largest ship building plan that we have ever had, and it is expected to be completed in 2017," he affirmed.

Investment worth Rp11.8 trillion comprising Rp3.3 trillion in 2015, Rp4.4 trillion in 2016, and Rp4.1 trillion in 2017 will be required to build the 188 ships.

To secure Indonesia's maritime territory, the government plans to build 25 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPV), five Marine Disaster Prevention Ships (MDPS), two second-class patrol boats, six third-class aluminum patrol boats, 10 fourth-class patrol boats, and 25 fifth-class patrol boats.

For sea transportation, it will build two 500 dead weight tons (dwt) vessels, two 200 dwt vessels, 25 units of two thousand gross tonnage (gt) ships, 20 units of 1.2 thousand gt ships, 11 units of 750 dwt ships, 15 microcontainers of 100 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), 20 ferries, and five cattle boats.

There are also plans to build 15 boats for conducting navigational activities.

The procurement of these ships will be done through a tender process, which is expected to conclude in October this year.

The ministry has issued a circular letter on the ship building criteria that concern document and organization legalities, manpower, technology, funding, and safety and operational management, among others.

The government is also focusing on the construction of the sea express transportation project to improve the condition of Indonesia's maritime economy.

"One of our most important goals is the realization of the sea express transportation project. The sea express transportation system is among the maritime infrastructure facilities that will be supported by productive shipbuilding industries in Indonesia," President Joko Widodo stated on August 14. (WDY)