The key is collaboration among the government, ports, and shipping companies. We are ready to help with international lobbying. Because if we work alone, it will be difficult to compete with other world players, but if we are united, other countriesJakarta (ANTARA) - Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has urged shipping business owners, especially ship owners and shipping companies, to open direct international routes to improve Indonesia's logistics competitiveness.
He made the request while attending the inaugural launch of shipping company PT Meratus Line’s Indonesia-China export route, in collaboration with port operator PT Pelindo, at the Container Terminal of Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta on Monday.
"I ask other shipping companies to also open direct international routes to other countries as our global expansion," Sumadi said in a statement received in Jakarta on Monday.
The government will continue its efforts to turn Tanjung Priok Port into a logistics hub and woo shipping business partners with extensive networks who are connected to other countries so that Indonesian products can enter global supply chains, he added.
"We hope that the shipping industry in Indonesia will continue to grow, especially in efforts to recover the national economy and support the smooth distribution of logistics to various countries," he said.
It is hoped that this initial export activity will be a good start and will be maximized by adding more export destinations, such as Korea, Japan, Europe, the US, and Middle East countries, Sumadi added.
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“The key is collaboration among the government, ports, and shipping companies. We are ready to help with international lobbying. Because if we work alone, it will be difficult to compete with other world players, but if we are united, other countries will appreciate it," the minister noted.
On the same occasion, the CEO of PT Meratus Line, Farid Belbouab, invited other business players to collaborate to engage in joint export activities.
"This new route opening is expected to open new prospects for a better future. Thank you to the government, partners, and customers who have helped in opening the Indonesia-China shipping route," Belbouab said.
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Meanwhile, president director of PT Pelindo, Arif Suhartono, said the opening of the Indonesia-China shipping route is the beginning of Indonesia's awakening in improving logistics movement.
"We hope that in the future we can collaborate with other shipping operators, both the state-owned and private companies," Suhartono added.
The new China Indonesia Express (CIX) shipping route will serve the Jakarta-Semarang-Surabaya-Qingdao-Shanghai route, with a schedule of once every two weeks. The ship used for the first voyage is also the first Indonesian-flagged ship to sail to China.
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Translator: Adimas Raditya F P, Resinta S
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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