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tate-owned port operator Pelindo III has started the construction phase of Gili Mas, a seaport that is slated to have the largest marina area in eastern Indonesia. Its construction is expected to cost Rp 1.3 trillion (US$96.2 million).

The port’s groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday at Gili Mas Beach in Lembar district, West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), was officiated by the State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Ministry’s deputy head for construction, facilities and infrastructure business, Pontas Tambunan. He was accompanied by Pelindo III CEO Orias Petrus Moedak, state-owned developer Pembangunan Perumahan (PP) CEO Tumiyana, NTB provincial administration representative Lalu Gita Aryadi and West Lombok Regent Fauzan Khalid.

Orias said the construction of the new port aimed at improving the region’s capacity in handling cargo and cruise ship traffic.

The existing port at Lembar has a limited capacity and cannot handle cruise ships and cargo vessels with an overall length of more than 200 meters.

The limitation has forced cruise ships visiting Lombok to cast their anchors at a significant distance away from the port and use smaller-sized boats to transport their passengers to land.

“Lembar Port lies on a 18-hectare plot of land and cannot be expanded due to limited space. That’s why we are building Gili Mas Port. This port will accommodate the increasing cargo traffic, as well as the region’s main marina that will serve cruise ships with capacities of between 2,000 and 5,000 passengers. The port will be equipped with a fully-serviced wharf where cruise ships can dock into,” he said.

Gili Mas will occupy 17 hectares of land, and will be equipped with a 400-m-long wharf and a 2,600-square-meter passenger terminal capable of accommodating 1,500 people. The terminal will also be furnished with a hotel and shopping arcades.

Orias underlined that the construction of the new port reflected Pelindo III’s commitment to developing and improving port services across the archipelago. The company also plans to construct 11 ports in other regions, including in Labuhan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara.

Tumiyana disclosed that Gili Mas’ construction would take around three years and the port was expected to become fully operational by 2021.

“We are committed to finishing this project within the set time frame. PP has considerable experience in managing this type of construction because more than 60 percent of seaports in the country have been constructed by our company,”

Lalu stressed that the new port would play a critical role in the region’s tourism development. Each year, the region was visited by up to 30 cruise ships, he disclosed.

“Unfortunately, not all of the passengers made the journey to land because the ships could not dock into the existing port. Those who wished to visit the mainland [of West Lombok] had to endure trips on small boats. The new port, with its more suitable facilities for catering to the needs of cruise ships, surely will provide a positive impact to the local tourism industry.”

The government has been making considerable effort to improve maritime activities in the country, including by establishing Untia Port, an integrated port in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

The port, the first of its kind, will link local fishermen to an airport that will expedite transport of fresh fishery products from the region to other countries.