REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAYAPURA -- Coordinating Minister for Martitime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said the Depapre port would be expanded to serve as a sea toll port to facilitate shipments of goods to and from the provincial city of Jayapura.
"Let us see in two years it would be underway. All goes by phases," Luhut, who was on a visit here, said on Thursday.
He said the prices that have always been higher here could not yet be brought down even if the sea toll has reached the regency of Biak. "But it could be coped with once the Depapre port has been operational," he pledged, saying the prices would be lowered.
Luhut said he hoped the construction of Depapre port would be handled by state companies to ensure faster completion. "It is not yet decided the fund for the port construction to be provided by state companies, the state and regional budgets. We would be glad if the project is awarded to state companies," he said.
He said there are already state companies interested in building the port, but he said he could not yet give the names.
Earlier President Joko Widodo said state company and company owned by the regional administration would build the port. "It is yet in the early phase of preparation, however, there has been agreement between the governor, regent and minister of state enterprises that state company and BUMD would handle the construction of the port," the president has said.
The president, however, could not give a fix date when work would start and when the project is to be completed. "Calculation is yet to be made on the cost. We will set the target and we want it as fast as possible," he said.
Earlier on Thursday Luhut and Coordinating Minister for Law, Security and Political Affair Wiranto visited the frontier Skow village in the border area with Papua New Guinea.
The two senior Ministers, accompanies by Papua regional administration secretary Heri Dosinaen, regional police chief Ins. Gen. Paulus Waterpau, and regional military chief Maj. Gen Hinsa Siburian, were greeted by hundreds of school students waving the Red and White flag.
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