PALEMBANG GESAHKITA COM–The South Sumatra Province is wait for the Tanjung Carat Port was expressed by the Governor of South Sumatra Herman Deru and also hopes that the plan to build a deep sea port in the Tanjung Carat area in Banyuasin Regency will not be postponed anymore because the local community has been waiting for it for a long time.
“South Sumatra is rich in commodities, but it is difficult to get them out because there is no sea port,” said Herman Deru at the Social Healing Event “Sumatra’s Fortune for Indonesia” which was attended by Minister State of State Owned Company Affair, Erick Thohir in Palembang, Sunday.
South Sumatra is known as a producer of rubber, palm oil, coal, but until now the farmers have not been as prosperous as expected due to the high cost of transporting these commodities.
Because there is no deep sea port until now, South Sumatra only relies on the river port of Boom Baru Harbor which is in the middle of Palembang City.
Like a river port, the ships that dock are only small ones.
Not only that, because the ship’s draft is also limited to a maximum of 6 meters, only 40 percent of the carrying capacity is used.
“Even large ships can only carry 8 thousand tons or 40 percent of capacity, while the cost is the same as carrying 20 thousand tons,” he said.
As a result, the cost of transporting commodities is high, which has an impact on rubber and palm oil prices at the farmer level.
“That’s why I hope that a leader from Sumatra will emerge, so that they can oversee the South Sumatra government’s program,” he said.
So far, the deep sea port project has received approval to be included in the National Strategic Project. The ocean port, which will become the export gateway for South Sumatra Provive , is currently in the finalization phase of land provision.
Initially, President Jokowi targeted the Tanjung Carat Port for ground breaking at the end of 2022.
