BATU BARA REGENCY - Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi continues to encourage the productivity of Kuala Tanjung Port so that it can optimally serve logistics distribution in the Sei Mangkei Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Batu Bara Regency, North Sumatra.
"The service at the Kuala Tanjung Port for SEI Mangkei has already taken place and we will continue to improve it. We want to ensure that the port that has been built is proven to be able to provide benefits for the community," said the Minister of Transportation when he visited the Kuala Tanjung Port and SEZ Sei Mangkei, Saturday (24/9).
The Minister of Transportation said that in the next two years 10 factories will be built in the SEZ Sei Mangkei, which is expected to further increase the productivity of the Kuala Tanjung Port. For this reason, the Minister of Transportation asked the Kuala Tanjung Port management to prepare to improve port services. “Sei Mangkei and Kuala Tanjung complement each other. If the productivity of Sei Mangkei increases, the productivity of the port will also increase," he said.
To further improve the smooth distribution of logistics from the Port of Kuala Tanjung to the SEZ Sei Mangkei and vice versa, the Minister of Transportation said that it is targeted that train transportation will be operational by next month. “Using trains will be more efficient and faster than using more congested land routes. By train from Kuala Tanjung to Sei Mangkei it takes no more than 30 minutes.” he said.
The government continues to develop multimodal integration in order to increase the mobility of goods from the Sei Mangkei Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The integration is carried out with the freight train linking Sei Mangkei, Kuala Tanjung, and Belawan.
Phase I of the development of the Kuala Tanjung Port, namely the Kuala Tanjung Multipurpose Terminal, has been operating. The port, which is managed by Pelindo, is equipped with a 500x60 m pier, 2.8 km long trestle for four truck lanes 18.5 m wide. In addition, it has been equipped with complete and modern port facilities supported by an integrated IT system so that it can improve services to service users and increase the speed of the loading and unloading process. This port is expected to become a transshipment port, which is visited by large ships from a number of countries. (LM)