Makassar, South Sulawesi (ANTARA Sulsel) - The port of Makassar could become a hub for Indonesian eastern region following trade development, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said here Saturday.
"Slowly Makassar has become a hub for Indonesian eastern region," he said when visiting Pelindo IV container terminal.
With Makassar being a hub, efficiency will be increased with regard to time and cost per container, he said.
Earlier, the hubs were Surabaya (East Java), Jakarta and Singapore, and shipping time was longer and the cost higher, he added.
He wished to see the progress of the port by visiting Pelindo IV, which is the indicator of trade development, he said.
"I also wish to see the revival of Makassar port like it used to be. The main ports in Indonesia used to be Belawan (Sumatra), Tanjung Priok (Jakarta), Surabaya (East Java) and Makassar," he said.
Due to a change in the autonomy system in Java the role of Makassar port diminished, but now production is growing to make direct exports from the port possible, he said.
"Now it has revived again as productivity in the Indonesian eastern region is up as seen in the number of containers being handled. When I was a boy, I lived there. My house was located near that container. It was later demolished after it was bought by Pelindo," Kalla, who hails from Makassar said, pointing to the location where his house used to stand.
Productivity of the port of Makassar has now increased and so has trade compared to Sumatra with dominant export commodities including agricultural produce and plantation products such as coffee, cashew nuts and seaweed, he said.
"Slowly Makassar has become a hub for Indonesian eastern region," he said when visiting Pelindo IV container terminal.
With Makassar being a hub, efficiency will be increased with regard to time and cost per container, he said.
Earlier, the hubs were Surabaya (East Java), Jakarta and Singapore, and shipping time was longer and the cost higher, he added.
He wished to see the progress of the port by visiting Pelindo IV, which is the indicator of trade development, he said.
"I also wish to see the revival of Makassar port like it used to be. The main ports in Indonesia used to be Belawan (Sumatra), Tanjung Priok (Jakarta), Surabaya (East Java) and Makassar," he said.
Due to a change in the autonomy system in Java the role of Makassar port diminished, but now production is growing to make direct exports from the port possible, he said.
"Now it has revived again as productivity in the Indonesian eastern region is up as seen in the number of containers being handled. When I was a boy, I lived there. My house was located near that container. It was later demolished after it was bought by Pelindo," Kalla, who hails from Makassar said, pointing to the location where his house used to stand.
Productivity of the port of Makassar has now increased and so has trade compared to Sumatra with dominant export commodities including agricultural produce and plantation products such as coffee, cashew nuts and seaweed, he said.