Indonesian Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has asked state-owned port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) III to speed up completion of the Gilimas port project in West Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara province.
Once operational, the Gilimas port is expected to minimize the transport problem between Bali and Lombok.
“I want the quay for tourist boats operational in mid-2018 to be followed with quay for container ship in May 2019. Originally it was to be completed in 2020,” Sumadi said during his inspection of the port project located in Lembar, West Lombok.
He said that at present, the port of Lembar, the only port to serve ships moving between Bali and Lombok, is too crowded. It is also too small and can only be used by ships with a carrying capacity of not more than 40 vehicles.
“With the operation of the Gilimas port, car travelers crossing to Bali from Surabaya could continue to Lombok using larger roll-on-roll vessels,” the official said.
The new port will also contribute to the development of tourism and spur activity in the Mandalika special economic zone in Central Lombok, he said.
Development of the project has been delayed as the reclamation permit needed to process the port construction permit is yet to be issued.
But commercial and operational director of Pelindo III Mohammad Iqbal said the reclamation permit had been processed since December 2016.
Sumadi said he would help accelerate the building of the gateway by helping issue the necessity licenses.
“The analysis on environmental impact is already finished. The reclamation permit would be issued soon,” Sumadi said, promising to sign the permit as soon as it is released.
The project involves the construction of a cruise terminal and a container terminal. It will have a handling capacity of 300,000 TEUs of container cargoes.
The project will need 60 hectares of land to be cleared; so far, land clearing has reached 50 hectares.
Photo: Arief Rahman Saan (Ezagren)
