Legislator highlights importance of periodic study of sea toll program

Deputy Chairperson of the House of Representatives' Commission V Sigit Sosiantomo has had a periodic study of the sea highway program to improve its effectiveness and to reduce price disparities between regions.

"I think there should be a periodic update or review, quarterly or in every semester, about this sea toll. There is a need to study which routes can still be financed by the state through the sea toll program," Sosiantomo noted in a release received here on Saturday.

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Sosiantomo revealed that several routes on the sea toll were yet to yield optimal benefits owing to the lack of commodities transported inside despite the state budget also been lowered for the route.

Sosiantomo pointed to two main existing problems in the application of sea tolls, with the first being the presence of routes where no commodities are transported, and the other related to routes and commodities but the rates being far more expensive than economic transport.

"Hence, it does not have a significant impact on lowering the prices of goods," the Prosperous Justice Party's politician stated.

In the meantime, Member of the House of Representatives' Commission V Johni Allen Marbun stated that the government's sea highway program had not been efficient and had to be re-synchronized to ensure that the goal was in line with President Joko Widodo's directives.

In the meantime, Executive Director of the Center for Maritime Studies for Humanity Abdul Halim agreed that the current sea highway remained ineffective and inefficient.

Halim also spoke of the complaints raised by entrepreneurs about the licensing administration process that seemed convoluted. 
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