East Indonesia Needs Maritime Infrastructure

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - As the world's largest archipelago, maritime infrastructure is vital for Indonesia especially eastern Indonesia, an official said.

Maritime infrastructure is needed to build up connectivity of eastern Indonesia, Bambang Prihartono, the transport director at the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), said here on Sunday.

He said eastern Indonesia is made up more of water territories, therefore, "if we talk about connectivity in that region, we have to talk first about maritime infrastructure."

"President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said recently as an archipelago Indonesia needs to build more maritime infrastructure," he said.

Construction of maritime infrastructure needs not only large fund but also high skills and technology, he said.

Without adequate maritime infrastructure the process of industrialization in coastal areas not only in eastern Indonesia but in most other parts of the country would  remain backward, he said.

Maritime infrastructure would contribute to sustainability coastal cities, he added.(*/T007)