Jakarta (ANTARA) - Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has informed that Wani Port, which was opened by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in Palu, Central Sulawesi, on Wednesday, has a cargo service capacity of 82 thousand tons per year.

"With this development, Wani Port has a cargo service capacity of 82 thousand tons per year and can serve the largest ship of 6 thousand DWT (dead-weight tonnage)," the minister said in Palu on Wednesday.

Sumadi accompanied President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) during the inauguration of Wani and Pantoloan ports in the Palu Bay area on Wednesday following their revitalization. The ports were damaged by the 2018 earthquake in the region.

As per an official statement released by the minister's office on Wednesday, the construction of Wani Port began on April 22, 2022, and finished on December 30, 2023.

Meanwhile, the construction of Pantoloan Port began on September 30, 2021, and concluded on November 22, 2022.

The minister thanked the President for making a major contribution to realizing the construction and development of maritime transportation infrastructure in Indonesia, especially in the Central Sulawesi region.

The increased capacity of port services marked as a node for logistics activities, improving regional connectivity, and supporting economic activities in Central Sulawesi province. The project was financed through an Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan of Rp233 billion (US$14 million).

"In 2018, Palu was hit by an earthquake and tsunami. The port was severely damaged. Today, we are able to inaugurate the reconstruction of Wani Port and Pantoloan Port," Widodo said.

He also asked related parties to continue improving port facilities, such as strengthening ports with standardizing services, management, and technology, followed by completing logistics services integration and connecting them with other modes of transportation for faster and more efficient services.

That way, the port can support national economic development and support the mobility of people and goods, the President explained.

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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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