REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Indonesian Transportation Ministry's Land Transportation Directorate General said it will build seven goods terminals in border areas. In Entikong, on the border area between Indonesia and Malaysia in West Kalimantan Province, a goods terminal would be operational in 2019, Director General of Land Transport Budi Setiyadi said here on Monday.

"The one in Entikong is now ready for operation in 2019. Construction of the other six will begin by the end of this year," he said on the sidelines of a seminar on "The Future Digital Transformation, Government & Private Partnership" here.

The six goods terminals are in Skouw on the border between Papua and Papua New Guinea, Nanga Badau on the border between West Kalimantan and Sarawak of Malaysia, in Aruk between West Kalimantan and Sarawak, and in Motamasin between East Nusa Tenggara and Timor Leste.

Budi said the goods terminals will facilitate connectivity and distribution of goods from other countries without going to seaport. He said the goods terminals serve as dry ports for exports and imports. Therefore, exporters and imports would not have to go to seaports," he said

He went on to say that dry ports are built by the Transportion Ministry but their operation involved various agencies such as police, immigration office, and Customs and Excise office.

"The ones in Kalimantan should have been operational and running in January 2019," he added.

In other areas such as in Papua, construction is hampered by land clearing.

Meanwhile, Deputy chairman of the Indonesian Association of Truck Operators (Aptrindo) Kyatmaja Lookman said goods terminals should be able to arrange that the trucks would have cargoes in their return from the terminals.

"We have problems in our logistics that is 'empty running back hole' or returning without cargoes," he said.

The goods terminal should also be built not only in border areas but each province should have goods terminals, he said, adding that East Java has 34 district areas and each district area should have a terminal center that could consolidate goods in the district. Later consolidation could be made in provinces, and provinces could be inter connected," he said.

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