Donggala, C Sulawesi (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), on Wednesday, inaugurated Wani Port and Pantoloan Port in Palu Bay, Donggala District, that have been rehabilitated following the 2018 earthquake and tsunami that hit Central Sulawesi.
"The ports were devastated, but owing to everyone's relentless efforts, we can inaugurate two rehabilitated and reconstructed ports in the Palu Bay area, namely Wani Port and Pantoloan Port," he remarked in Donggala.
Jokowi underlined the vital roles played by the maritime sector and ports in the Indonesian economy, considering that waters cover two-thirds of the country's territory.
He said the 2018 disasters centered in Palu City had destroyed nearby ports, leading to disruptions to the mobility of goods and people.
In response, he added, the government issued Presidential Instruction No. 10 of 2018 concerning the acceleration of post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction in Central Sulawesi and surrounding regions.
"A fund worth Rp233 billion (US$14.7 million) was provided by the Asian Development Bank to carry out this rehabilitation, with the objective of restoring the functions of the ports affected by the earthquake and tsunami," he pointed out.
The president further said that the rehabilitation and reconstruction works were meant to enhance the service capacity of the ports in the hopes of bolstering regional connectivity and stimulating economic activities in the province.
At Wani Port, the works involved the development of a 150-meter-long pier, 28-meter-long trestle, office building, state ship garage, and mosque. Currently, the port can serve 82 thousand tons of cargo annually and accommodate ships of six thousand deadweight tonnage (DWT).
Meanwhile, works at Pantoloan Port encompassed the rehabilitation of a 93-meter-long trestle and a 169-meter-long pier, an extension of the upper structure of the pier, and the reconstruction of the office of the port authority.
Pantoloan Port wields the capacity to serve 160 thousand twenty-foot equivalent units of containers every year and accommodate ships of 30 thousand DWT.
President Jokowi officiated the two rehabilitated and reconstructed ports by pushing a ship's lever and signing an inscription.
A powerful earthquake measuring 7.4 magnitude rocked several areas in Central Sulawesi on September 28, 2018, killing 4,340 people.
The quake was followed by a tsunami reaching up to 7 meters high, damaging thousands of houses and businesses in the province's capital city of Palu, Donggala District and Mamuju District, according to Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
Related news: Tsunami waves hit several parts of central Sulawesi: BNPB
Related news: World Bank offers five million dollars of grant for C Sulawesi earthquake reconstruction
Translator: Nur Amalia, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
