By: Moch. Irfandi)*
President Jokowi’s Sea Toll Program cuts price disparities in the West and East, while accelerating the development of the eastern and outer islands.
The sea toll program becomes the government’s effort President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) provides a sea transport network with subsidized and improved port facilities. It is expected to be able to reduce logistics costs and make the price cheaper, because the ship is now scheduled to come so that development is also more quickly implemented.
Toll sea is a freeway-free shipping lane, connecting inter-island harbors in Indonesia. After connecting with the sea toll road, it is expected that there will be no scarcity of goods such as sembako, scarcity of fuel, and cement.
“But in the broadest sense, the sea toll itself is an effective sea transport connectivity scheduled to serve ships from the West to East of Indonesia because now the western economies of the region grow 80%, unlike the East,” said Director of Traffic and Sea Transport (Dirlala) Directorate General of Sea Transportation, Bay M. Hasani as written on Saturday (8/19/2017)
The government has disbursed Rp 355.05 billion of tolls this year, consisting of Rp 226.43 billion for Pelni subsidy and Rp 128.61 billion for private operators. The funds are used to subsidize the freight costs of these ships, so that logistics costs can be cut.
“Pelni we subsidize to not only sail to the wet areas, so that all the islands in Indonesia served,” he said.
Following the publication of Pepres 70 Year 2017 on Public Service Obligations for the Transport of Goods to and from Disadvantaged, Remote, Outermost and Border Areas, the sea toll program is now not only transporting staples, but also important items, ranging from instant noodles to electronic goods .
“At the time of Presidential Decree 106, it is not mentioned from and to, only from West to East, so we are confused also when there is a fish load, sea grass and salt, because the sea freight is only the basic necessities and essential ingredients,” Bay said.
“Finally we propose a revision in the framework of optimization, there is Presidential Regulation 70 of 2017 as a substitute, in addition there is sea, there is also a synergy, mentioned not only for sea transport but also land and air.In addition, not only essential materials and materials, As well as other goods according to the needs of people in the area, “he added.
Now the program that has been going on since 2015 has been successfully hit the price of goods in some areas up to 40%. Areas that have been pressed are located in Nusa Tenggara to Papua, such as Larantuka, Fak-Fak, Dobo, and Anambas.
Therefore, the current government policy is considered a policy to improve the welfare of the people of Indonesia through berbagaai convenience in the mobility of goods from among regions in Indonesia. When the condition of infrastructure for the distribution of goods has been available well, how next? Now it is the turn of the people who innovate to grow and develop together the facilities available.
)* The author is CIDISS Contributor