Kotabaru Has a Chance to Build International Port

Kotabaru, South Kalimantan (Antaranews) - Chairman of Commission I DPRD Kotabaru H Sahaidudin asserted, teh district has an opportunity to build an international port.

According to him , the Kotabaru waters is in the second Sea Lane of Communications (ALKI II), where large merchant ships could traverse under the UNCLOS international maritime law. Kotabaru is well positioned with the exact geographical location in the center of the Indonesian archipelago.

If it has international seaports, loading and unloading of goods and services from within and outside the country, particularly for regional Kalimantan, will be carried out in Kotabaru.

Especially now the container port in the Port of Tanjung Perak, Surabaya, already overloaded, so Kotabaru need to prepare itself as an alternative port.

"If it has international seaports, Kotabaru will become the gate of east Indonesia, and even for Asia Pacific,"  he said here on Monday.

Previously, Regent Kotabaru H Irhami Ridjani plans to build a port Selaru as a special container port to support the strategic economic zone in the district.

According to Regent, Selaru has a strategic location for a container port , while to date Kotabaru's delivery and exit goods still using container port in Batulicin, Tanah Bumbu District.

Despite the close distance of Kotabaru-Tanah Bumbu , the flow of freight takes a long time which is about seven days or a week.

In addition to saving time, the construction of a container port in Kotabaru will impact to price of goods sold in the daily markets in Kotabaru can be cheaper.

To support the program, Kotabaru will build infrastructure, such as roads leading to and at the port location with adequate facilities.

Kotabaru also determined to be the only area in Kalimantan, which has international ports, such as ports Indonesia Bulk Terminal (IBT) in Lontar, West Pulau Laut. Kotabaru currently preparing an adequate infrastructure of Kotabaru - Lontar, by improving and developing roads along the 125 km.