Jakarta (ANTARA) - Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has asked all ranks of state-run ferry operator PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia (Pelni) to continuously improve performance by consistently making changes or transformations.

"Continue to make changes and make sure what's done can generate results or the benefits can be directly felt by the community," he said while delivering a speech at the PT Pelni 2022 Leadership Meeting here on Wednesday.

The company has been given a mandate by President Joko Widodo to ensure proper sea connectivity, Sumadi added.

There are a number of challenges that must be faced in the sea transportation sector, for example, reaching remote areas, resolving price disparities, and more, he noted.

"This is where Pelni has been given a mandate by the government through the provision of pioneer ships, sea toll (program), and other activities, that must be reliable," the minister said.

A number of transformation efforts need to be carried out by Pelni, including digitizing services, streamlining ship operations, mapping and selecting areas that have the potential to be served, and managing human resources that are agile, have the necessary capacity and competence, and are willing to improve.

He expressed the hope that Pelni would not only rely on subsidies from the government but also continuously develop its business.

Furthermore, the minister lauded Pelni, which has been helping the government to provide sea transportation services, both passenger and logistic services, in remote areas.

During the meeting, president director of Pelni, Tri Andayani, expressed his gratitude to the government for placing its trust in Pelni to provide sea transportation services to the community.

Andayani said that since 2018, the tasks given to Pelni in the form of public service obligations (PSO) and subsidies have shown an increasing trend, in line with the rising needs of the community, especially those in the central and eastern parts of Indonesia.



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Translator: Adimas Raditya, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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