Finally supported by the central government, Ujung Jabung port will soon be constructed in May 2014 as the main infrastructure for economic activities of the Jambi province.
"Budget User Authority from the Ministry of Transportation has inspected the port location and we hope the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction will start in May this year," Governor Hasan Basri Agus confirmed in Jambi on Tuesday.
He noted that the Ujung Jabung ocean port, when completed, will function as one of the economic drivers to increase competitiveness among various products in the province.
Further, the governor stated that the construction of the port with total funds amounting to Rp80 billion has been tendered at the central government, where the funds will come from the state budget.
"The construction can be one of the economic triggers to increase competitiveness of Jambis products," the governor noted, adding that infrastructure was an important thing for economic progress of a province, particularly those supporting areal connectivity.
Meanwhile, Jambi Transportation Department Chief Benhard Panjaitan noted that the physical construction of Ujung Jabung port will soon start for it has been set to finish in 2015.
He asserted that in its design, the Ujung Jabung port will have three docks, for passengers and cargo, for Crude Palm Oil (CPO), and for the loading and unloading of coal respectively.
"When completed, the port is believed to have very positive impact on Jambis economic development," Panjaitan clarified.
A 100-hectare area of land has been cleared for the interest of Ujung Jabung port with a total area of 4.2 thousand hectares.
Transportation Minister Evert Erenst Mangindaan, during his working visit to Jambi early this year, stated that the Ministry of Transportation supported the plan to develop Ujung Jabung sea port as the main port in the province.
"Jambi has yet to have a main seaport and therefore we support the Ujung Jabung port development in making a main harbor in the province," Mangindaan had declared at the time.
The minister pointed out that the Ujung Jabung port was expected to be connected to the Dumai port in Riau province and Tanjung Api-Api port in South Sumatra, thus making the three ports a sea corridor in Sumatra.
Mangindaan stated that the construction of Ujung Jabung port has been included in the 2014 budget and also in the revised budget, to make it a main port out of 14 ports - four collecting ports and 10 feeder ports - in Jambi.
He added that even though the project had been included in 2013 budget, the House of Representatives had postponed it because the disbursal was delayed.
"The House then approved it in October but because of the brief tender and construction, it was included in the 2014 budget," he explained.
The Ministry has targeted to complete construction in 2015, so that the port can be used to connect to Dumai port and Tanjung Api Api port in South Sumatra.
The construction of Ujung Jabung port is among the several projects that the Indonesian government is proposing to fast track under the Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesias Economic Development (MP3EI).
The Jambi provincial administration is being urged to accelerate the construction of the seaport, which is expected to become the gateway for Sumatras economic development.
Bringing it under the MP3EI programme will give the provincial government access to some state funding.
Governor Hasan Basri noted that besides Ujung Jabung port, the province has some big infrastructure projects to realize, such as development of Sultan Taha airport, and railway connecting Ujung Jabung, Dumai and West Sumatra.
Therefore the transportation minister assured his support for the Jambi provincial administration initiative to develop Sultan Taha airport, and the development of the railway line.
"I positively welcome and support the initiative of Jambi provincial administration to develop Sultan Taha airport and the railway line," Mangindaan stated.
He added that the central government continues to support the development of several airports in the country, including the one in Jambi province, to ensure regional economic development.
According to him, since the development of Sultan Taha airport has been included in the Transportation Ministrys program, work on some facility and infrastructure is already underway.
"The expansion of Sultan Tahas apron, taxi way and runway is underway," he noted, adding that the runway will be extended to 2.6 thousand meters.
Mangindaan then called on the Jambi provincial administration to coordinate with airport management company PT Angkasa Pura to implement the development of Sultan Taha airport as soon as possible.
"PT Angkasa Pura has agreed to develop the airport, which we will support," Mangindaan noted.
The minister also expressed his hope that the development of the railway line in Jambi can also be carried out immediately.
"I hope the provincial administration will soon make a feasibility study to start the development work for the railway line immediately," the minister added.
Building a network of railway transportation in the region of Sumatera is believed to be one of the quick measures to accelerate peoples welfare.
Although it is still limited to link areas from North Sumatra to Jambi, this cheap and economical transport network will definitely widen the path to accelerate economic development in Sumatra, and to remove poverty in the region.
The railway network, with an investment of around Rp 1 trillion, will stretch from the border of North Sumatrat to Jambi, in the first phase, with a network length of 625km, namely from Rantauprapat to Dumai, Riau.
The railway network from Rantauprapat to Dumai will continue to Duri - Pekanbaru - Teluk Kuantan - Indragiri Hilir, and further develop upto Muaro in Jambi Province.
The construction of the Trans Sumatra Railway is a long-term project, to be implemented in three stages, scheduled for completion by 2030.
(O001/INE/B003)
EDITED BY INE
(O001/KR-BSR/B003)
Reporter: Otniel Tamindael
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
