RI NEEDS TRANSIT PORTS TO REALIZE ITS MARITIME AXIS VISION

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, March 26 (Antara) - The government is considering developing two transshipment ports to support its dream of transforming the country into an international maritime axis and a world's biggest economy.          With the two transshipment points along with the maritime axis, Indonesia could take over the role of Singapore as the only point of transit port for goods coming into Indonesia. The two transshipment ports which are expected to be located in the western and eastern parts of the country could turn Indonesia into the world's sixth largest economy.         "So far, Singapore is the only transshipment point. We have to send goods to Singapore and from Singapore the goods are delivered to Kalimantan and Sulawesi. This is not an efficient way," Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Rizal Ramli said Thursday.          Therefore, the government is willing to build two large main seaports to take over the role of Singapore.          "We want to build one in Sumatra (western part), possibly in Dumai (Riau Province) or South Sumatra and one in the eastern region. It could be in Lombok or Bitung," Minister Rizal Ramli said.

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS TO FOCUS ON MARITIME SECTOR

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, March 26 (Antara) - The Indonesian waters which account for 70 percent of the country's total area offer greatest potential and economic benefit for the development and improvement of the people's welfare.          Young Indonesian entrepreneurs will therefore focus their attention on tapping the economic potential of the country's maritime sector. "We will play our roles in the development of the country's maritime industries," Raditya Priamanaya Djan of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) said.          Priamanaya, who attended a regional working meeting of the HIPMI in Riau Islands Province (Kepri) Friday, cited as an example the potential of the Kepri waters which covered 90 percent of the province's area.          This province had a big potential to develop the maritime sector, particularly the fishery sector, he said.          Moreover, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has placed the fishery sector as one of his maritime development priorities, he said. "Kepri has the potential to develop the fishery industry in the era of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)," he added.

JOKOWI VOWS TO ADVANCE INDONESIA'S MARITIME SECTOR

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Octo 21 (Antara) - Indonesia's new President Joko Widodo, popularly called Jokowi, has pledged to advance Indonesia's marine sector and to restore the nation's past maritime glory.          The new president took the pledge after he was installed as Indonesia's seventh president along with Vice President Jusuf Kalla (JK) on Monday.          He pointed out that Indonesia has, so far, focused on land activities and in the process, has overlooked its seas where the marine and fisheries sector has an economic potential of more than US$1.2 trillion a year.          "We have left the seas, oceans, straits, and bays too long. Now is the time for us to get back and revive all this. We must be glorious at sea as reflected in the slogans of our ancestors in the past. We can echo the slogan again," the president remarked while addressing the plenary session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) on Monday.          Jokowi called on all Indonesians to work hard in developing the maritime sector as the future of the state depends on it.         "We have to work as hard as possible to get Indonesia back to its previous maritime state's status. Oceans, seas, straits, and bays are the future of our civilization," the new president noted.