Jakarta: The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) says the nation is seriously underserved on national shipping routes.
“We are the world’s largest archipelagic nation yet our economic development is concentrated in Java, Sumatra and our big cities. Underdeveloped regions need attention and by utilizing the sea we could address this,” Kadin deputy for logistics sector and regional development M. Natsir Mansyur said on Tuesday.
Natsir said ships with a total capacity of below 5,000dwt would be suitable for short shipping routes, such as Kupang–Ende, Makassar–Selayar and Bitung–Toli Toli.
Poor maritime connectivity had resulted in high logistics costs, Natsir said.
“We are hoping that the government will provide incentives to shipping players willing to invest in smaller ships since maritime connectivity is the most effective and cheapest way to build our nation,” he said. [30/10/13]
