INSA calls for expansion of Batuampar Port

The Indonesian National Ship Owners Association (INSA) has called for an expansion of the Batuampar Port on Batam Island in Riau Islands Province to help cut down logistics cost.

Osman Hasyim, Head of the INSA Batam chapter, was quoted by local news portal batampos.id as saying Monday that the Batuampar Port currently can only serve small vessels.  As such, the smaller vessels carrying export goods must first go to neighboring Singapore to transfer their containers to larger vessels, thus providing benefits to Singapore’s ships.     

“Logistics cost can go down if the volume is increased so that large vessels can enter the (Batuampar) port,” Osman said.

He urged the Batam Island Development Authority (BP) to quickly start expanding the capacity of the Batuampar Port.

Meanwhile, Head of BP, Edy Putra Irawadi said that the authority is planning to expand the container yard of the Batuampar Port.  He said that the expansion will allow logistics cost to be reduced from US$470 per 20 feet to only $250. (*)