BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (ISL News) – Ministry of Transportation cq. The Directorate General of Sea Transportation again participated in the Indonesian Government Delegation attending the 46th ASEAN Maritime Transport Working Group Meeting which was held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam on 6 to 8 May 2024.
The meeting, chaired by Brunei Darussalam as Chair, was attended by all ASEAN member countries, as well as dialogue partner countries, including China, the United States, Japan and South Korea. Also participating in this activity are leading Maritime Organizations such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO), ASEAN Ports Association (APA), Federation of ASEAN Shipowners' Association (FASA), World Shipping Council (WSC), Digital Container Shipping Association (DSCA), Partnership for Infrastructure (P4I) Australia, and ASEAN Secretariat.
The Republic of Indonesia Delegation is led by the Secretary of the Directorate General of Sea Transportation, Lollan Panjaitan, with members of the Republic of Indonesia Delegation consisting of representatives of the Directorate of Sea Traffic and Transportation, Directorate of Navigation, Directorate of Shipping and Maritime Affairs, Directorate of Sea and Coast Guard Units, Secretariat of the Directorate General of Land Transportation, Directorate of River, Lake and Ferry Transportation (TSDP), Center for Facilitation of International Partnerships and Institutions (PFKKI), PT. Pelindo and the Indonesian National Shipowners Association (INSA).
Lollan revealed several important things discussed at the meeting. The first is the agenda related to the ASEAN Single Shipping Market (ASSM), where Brunei Darussalam submitted analysis data on port performance in ASEAN for 2023 based on research conducted by the Malaysian Maritime Institute (MIMA) from the latest data provided by ASEAN countries.
On this agenda, Lollan continued, Member States are expected to provide the latest information regarding the national coordination mechanism regarding the development of port and road infrastructure as well as the national master plan for the development of ports and roads for better port access.
"In this case, we convey that the Indonesian Government has appointed the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs to support increasing Indonesia's connectivity through the National Strategic Project (PSN) by means of problem solving (debottlenecking), especially related to licensing, to complete the Port Development which is included in the PSN list ," explained Lollan.
Furthermore, Indonesia is also trying to support port accessibility through access roads to and from the port, as well as encouraging the development of industrial areas to support port utilization. Apart from that, increasing connectivity in Indonesia is also supported through the formation of the Committee for the Acceleration of Priority Infrastructure Provision (KPPIP), which functions as a coordination unit in decision making to encourage the resolution of problems that arise due to the lack of effective coordination between various stakeholders.
"KPIP is the point of contact in implementing coordination for PSN debottlenecking and Priority Projects," said Lollan.
RO-RO SHIP NETWORK OPERATIONS IN ASEAN
Regarding the discussion on the operation of the Ro-Ro shipping network in ASEAN, explained Lollan, Indonesia expressed its full support for projects that can improve the global economy, especially through connectivity that increases trade between countries.
In connection with Ro-Ro ship shipping on the Dumai-Melaka Route, it was conveyed that on the land side of the Bandar Sri Junjungan port is currently in the passenger terminal construction stage and is expected to be completed in June 2024 with progress currently reaching 61% and the construction of CIQS facilities in the area The port is targeted for completion by the end of 2024.
Currently, Lollan explained, Indonesia is preparing the Dumai-Melaka Indonesia RoRo Joint Task Force in collaboration with relevant Ministries/Institutions in Indonesia and advises Malaysia to form a joint Joint Task Force from the two countries to speed up the resolution of this problem.
As for the Bitung - Davao, Indonesia Ro-Ro Route, according to Lollan, he said that through meetings held with relevant stakeholders, several facts were discovered that Tahuna and Gensan have had traditional trade relations for many years, with the main commodity being household needs. ladder. The main cargo is fish, coconuts and equipment for building traditional boats.
Furthermore, it was also discovered that there was an increase in the number of people moving at certain times, for example Christmas, Eid al-Fitr or school holidays where migrants moved between the two countries and PiSa (descendants of Filipinos and Sangihe) were often found.
"Seeing this situation, we propose to consider the transportation of people and goods not only limited to Ro-Ro ships, but expanded to non-convention merchant ships. "Therefore, Indonesia proposes forming a Joint Task Force to find solutions and develop constructive programs for both countries," said Lollan.
IMPROVING NAVIGATION AND SECURITY SYSTEMS ACCORDING TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
In discussing this Agenda, Japan conveyed the progress of implementation of the 2024 Regional Action Plan for Port Security (RAPPS) including the results of the 21st Port Security Expert meeting.
In this regard, Indonesia would like to thank Japan for holding the 2024 RAPPS meeting via zoom on February 15 2024, which was also attended by the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar. In the meeting, each country reported on activities related to port security that had been carried out during 2023.
Furthermore, Indonesia also appreciated and expressed its gratitude for Indonesia's participation in the Asean Regional Training Center for VTS (ARTV) program which was well organized at the MATRAIN Marine Department of Malaysia (Jabatan Laut Malaysia). In 2023 (November) for Training Phase-4 via the E Learning method and face-to-face meetings. Indonesia included 2 participants, namely from VTS Palembang and VTS Samarinda.
"Indonesia encourages and supports the implementation of the ASEAN Regional Training Center for VTS (ARTV) for Phase 5, and supports efforts to improve VTS Operator competency through other training programs together with ASEAN Member Countries. "We also said that currently Indonesia has 2 training institutions, namely BPPTL and BP3IP which have been accredited to carry out VTS training in Indonesia," said Lollan.
SUSTAINABLE MARINE TRANSPORTATION
The Indonesian delegation at the meeting explained the development of the implementation of Eco Port in Indonesia. Lollan conveyed Indonesia's view on the need to implement Carbon Neutral Ports in all Ports in Indonesia. He also expressed his appreciation for the Japanese government's support in the 21st ASEAN-JAPAN Technology Group Forum to gain a better understanding of renewable technology.
"The Indonesian government and port operators have taken several steps to support decarbonization at ports, including the use of onshore electricity supplies, the conversion of environmentally friendly energy from diesel energy to electrical energy, and the construction of solar power plants," he explained.
In this regard, the Ministry of Transportation has issued Minister of Transportation Decree Number KM 8 of 2023 concerning Determination of Climate Change Mitigation Actions in the Transportation Sector to Support the Achievement of National Contribution Targets, where the maritime transportation sub-sector also has mitigation actions to support the reduction of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. ), both on the shipping side and on the port side.
“In this case, we (the Indonesian Government) would like to express our gratitude for the cooperation of the Japanese Government in the Port Technology Group. "Indonesia has participated in the activities of the port technology group in Japan so that OCDI will develop the Carbon Neutral Port Guideline concept by taking into account input from each ASEAN country and the concept of the Guideline will later be presented by OCDI at the 22nd PTG meeting," he said.
Indonesia, continued Lollan, also expressed its support for the policy of using environmentally friendly fuel in shipping/sea transportation, including on ships and vehicles operating to and from ports.
As for the discussion regarding the implementation of the ASEAN Green Ship Strategy, Indonesia supports the program to use environmentally friendly ships, where currently ships in Indonesia use B35 biodiesel fuel and are in the preparation stage for testing the application of B40 for 27 sea transports. Apart from that, there are also ships operated by Pertamina Hulu Mahakam which are fueled by Diesel Dual Fuel (HSD + LNG), as well as ships which are gas fueled (LNG), which are operated by Business Entities to support the company's operations.
The initiative to use renewable energy has also been implemented by ferry vessels operating on Lake Toba (Asa Asa water bus and Jurung-Jurung water bus) and Lake Sentani (Itaufili water bus and Empote water bus), which were built in 2019-2020 using panels Sun.
"Even though these solar panels only function as a source of electricity for lighting, navigation systems and radio, and cannot yet function as the main driving force, this initiative needs to be appreciated and encouraged so that it can be further developed," he added.
Furthermore, regarding Biofouling Management in East Asian Seas, Indonesia, as one of the Main Partner Countries in the GloFouling Partnership Project, would like to thank IMO and PEMSEA for their continued support for the implementation of the Project.
"We also emphasize Indonesia's commitment to contributing to the protection of the marine environment through this project and convey that Indonesia has held Biofouling Management Plan and Record Book Training on 26 to 27 February 2024 in Lombok, Indonesia. This training aims to increase the technical knowledge of our officers regarding the impact of biofouling management on ship fuel efficiency and GHG emissions.
Additionally, under the GloFouling Partnership project, Indonesia will organize technical training on dry dock operations for the prevention and management of biofouling, which will be held in the second half of 2024 in Batam, Indonesia. "This training will be very beneficial for dry dock staff, ship and port operators, including government officials who handle biofouling management," explained Lollan.
IMO-ASEAN COOPERATION
Indonesia expressed its support for the signing of the MoU between ASEAN and IMO regarding Future Cooperation in the Maritime Sector in the Asia-Pacific Region so that cooperation in the maritime transportation sector can be further developed.
"We also support IMO's future plans to develop the implementation of the Blue Economy and Circular Economy in ASEAN, considering the importance of this as a new engine of economic growth in the Region," said Lollan.
Collaboration in the Blue Economy sector can include development in sectors such as aquaculture, tourism, renewable energy, biotechnology, marine and freshwater-based research and education, as well as other new sectors.
“In line with IMO's ongoing efforts and future plans to support the implementation of the Blue Economy and Circular Economy in ASEAN, we look forward to IMO's continued support and cooperation for the development of the ASEAN Blue Economy Framework, which will contribute to socio-economic prosperity and a healthy marine environment in the region," he said.
Indonesia, said Lollan, hopes that ASEAN and IMO can continue to strengthen cooperation in the maritime sector to further develop strong, resilient and smooth sea transportation and connectivity in the ASEAN region and beyond.
Meanwhile, as a form of commitment to the progress of the world maritime sector, Indonesia expressed its support for the Cape Town Agreement (CTA) Ratification process, and will hold a National Consultation on the Ratification and Implementation of the CTA on 24-28 June 2024, as well as a Regional Conference on the Cape Town Agreement which will be implemented in semester 2 of 2024.
Furthermore, Indonesia also conveyed information regarding preparations for the preparation of an application to designate the Lombok Strait as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) to be submitted at the 82nd MEPC Session.
"To support this, Indonesia will hold an international Focus Group Discussion in early June 2024 in Bali and we invite ASEAN, IMO Member States, and stakeholders who have an interest in this field to actively participate in the Forum," said Lollan.
(Editor of ISL News/HUBLA/MYN/MM/HB).
