Tanjungpandan, Bangka Belitung, (ANTARA News) - State-owned port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia II (IPC) recorded Rp1.21 trillion in net profit in the first half of 2018 or an increase of 18 percent from Rp1.02 trillion in the same period last year.

The operating income of the company rose 8.18 percent to Rp5.35 trillion in the January-June period this year from Rp4.93 trillion in the same period last year.

With the performance, the operator of the country`s largest seaport Tanjung Priok, is expected to reach its financial targets in this year, company`s chief executive Elvyn G. Masassya said here on Thursday.

The company`s target for operating income was set at Rp12.36 trillion or 13.29 percent higher than Rp10.91 trillion in 2017.

Elvyn said he was optimistic IPC would post much better performance this year compared with last year, despite the global economic crisis.

"Activities at ports under IPC mainly Tanjung Priok remain brisk with high flows of goods for exports and inter-island shipments," he said.

He said activities at Indonesian ports are relatively high, with many foreign ships from other Asian countries and Europe unloading and loading goods such as at Tanjung Priok.

There are more foreign transit ships made a call at Tanjung Priok for unloading and to load export goods.

Inter-island transport is also brisk with ships carrying trade goods to Jakarta and from Jakarta to other Indonesian islands.

"Therefore, we are very optimistic IPC`s performance would be better this year than last year," he said.

Containers goods loaded and unloaded at IPC`s ports grew 10.18 percent from 3.28 million TEUs to 3.62 million TEUs in the first half of 2018, and the ships leaving and coming rose 10.68 percent in size from 94.58 million Gross Tonnage (GT) in the first half of 2017 to 104.68 million GT in the first six months of the year.

Flows of non container cargoes via the ports of the company dropped 1.82 percent from 27.97 million tons to 27.44 million tons .

Meanwhile, the number of passengers rose 21.85 percent from 260,420 to 317,310.

IPC operates 12 ports in 10 provinces mainly Tanjung Priok of Jakarta, Palembang of South Sumatra, Pontianak of West Kalimantan and Teluk Bayur of West Sumatra .

Reporting by Ahmad Wijaya
Editing by A Saragih, A Abdussalam

Reporter: Antara
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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