PTBA, KAI agree on new tariff arrangement
Thursday, February 6 2003 - 10:35 AM WIB
Under the deal, KAI will charge PTBA Rp. 37,000 (US$ = 8,850) per ton of coal transported to Tarahan with minimum volume of 7.05 million tons of coal transported for 2003 and 2004, while coal transportation fee for Kertapati coal port is set at Rp. 20,000 per tons, with minimum volume of 1.35 million tons, PTBA president Ismet Harmaini told reporters.
Earlier, the tariff set by the ministry of state owned enterprise was Rp. 37,000 per ton from Tanjung Enim to Tarahan, with minimum volume of coal transported 8.5 million tons and Rp.20,000 per tons to Kertapati with minimum volume of 2 million tons per annum. If KAI fails to deliver the volume, then it will be obliged to pay hefty fine.
KAI managed only to transport 6.54 million tons of coal to Tarahan and 1.17 million tons to Kertapati in 2002.
KAI president Omar Berto said the tariff and the minimum volume is only adequate for one or two year as the tariff had not covered depreciation cost, and therefore would make it difficult for KAI to increase transportation capacity. ?The tariff will do for one or two years, but the ideal tariff for KAI is Rp. 45,000 per ton,? he said.
Coal transportation from Tanjung Enim to Tarahan had been affected because KAI cut down volume of coal transported to Tarahan before new agreement was settled.
PTBA which operates coal mining areas in Tanjung Enim, South Sumatra transports a larger part of its coal through the specially designed coal terminal in Tarahan, Lampung. From there, the coal is shipped to the Suralaya power plant in Merak, Banten and other domestic and overseas buyers. (godang)