Jakarta (Antara Bali) - A lawmaker said the controversial Jakarta Bay reclamation project should be designed as part of the grand design of Indonesia as a world's maritime axis.
It should be developed to serve as a place for world's commercial ships to cast anchor in Indonesian seaports, Bambang Haryo Soekartono of Commission V of the House of Representatives, said.
The Jakarta city administration should initiate studies on the possibility of the reclamation project to help restore the country's position as the world's maritime axis, Bambang said here on Wednesday.
Ships from East Asia, Europe and America cruise past Indonesian waters through the Malacca Strait, he said addressing a meeting of experts here on Wednesday.
The project should be made to attract at least 90 percent of the ships to cast anchor in Indonesian ports, he said.
Industrial estate should be developed on the man-made islands integrated with port to transform Jakarta into a maritime trading city , he said.
The reclamation project, which is to build 17 man-made islands was initiated by the city administration but construction is handled by private companies.
Governor Basuki Tjahaya Purnama (Ahok) said the land reclamation project would help Jakarta solve its land problems.
Ahok said Jakarta is sinking at an alarming rate every year and the subsidence is worse with rising sea level.
"The threat is much worse than flooding that has caused great inconvenience and material losses to the capital city almost every year," the governor said.
The mega project, however, has stumbled on politically motivated controversy and is now mired in legislation with the developers involved in graft case.
Bambang said Indonesia sees 90 percent of the world's ships using its sea lanes. Around 100,000 ships went back and forth over the Malacca strait with container flows reaching up to 100 million TEUs a year.
"The one to gain most from the busy traffic is Singapore handling 40 percent of the container goods, with Malaysia having a share of 12-16 percent. Indonesia, which has the longest coast, has only a share of 3 percent," he said.
Bambang, therefore, strongly urged the Jakarta city administration to carry out comprehensive studies on the role of the project.
The studies should be carried out in coordination with relevant agencies including the Transport Ministry, Public Works and Housing Ministry, Maritime and Fisheries Ministry, Trade Ministry and Environment and Forestry Ministry, he added.
There are many aspects of the projects that need to be studied such as navigation, integration of industrial estate with port and preservation of the environment and the interest of fishermen, he said.
He said integration of industrial estate with port could reduce traffic jams with the growing population of buffer cities such as Bekasi and Karawang.
"It also help reduce logistic costs and make us more competitive in ASEAN," he said. (WDY)
