MERAUKE (ISL News) - The Director of Ports at the Directorate General of Sea Transportation, Muhammad Anto Julianto, directly inspected the operational conditions of Yos Sudarso Port in Merauke, South Papua, on Tuesday (April 21, 2026). This inspection was conducted to ensure service readiness and identify port infrastructure development needs amid increasing logistics flows.
During the visit, Anto highlighted the high potential of commodities in Merauke, such as sugar, rice, and corn, which need to be balanced with an adequate distribution system and infrastructure.
"I think a lot of input and information was provided. The commodity potential in Merauke was a focus, especially how to facilitate the mobility and distribution of goods more optimally," he said.
He emphasized that strengthening infrastructure and logistics systems in the South Papua region is a crucial part of boosting national logistics efficiency and strengthening maritime connectivity.
Based on field observations, loading and unloading activity at the port shows a significant upward trend. The Yard Occupancy Ratio (YOR) is recorded at around 90 percent, indicating that the container yard is congested. This situation has resulted in limited capacity and increased ship waiting times.
Head of the Merauke TPK Terminal, Muhammad Rasul Irmadani, said that his party has prepared development steps to overcome this congestion.
"All of our development plans are based on the Port Master Plan (RIP), which is currently underway, so they remain within the long-term planning framework," he said.
He explained that congestion was also influenced by stuffing and stripping activities still being carried out within the terminal, as well as the less than optimal flow of containers out of the port.
As a solution, Pelindo plans to build a container depot outside the port area, which will function as a buffer yard to reduce congestion within the terminal. The depot is planned to be located approximately 500 meters from the port, but still requires local government support, particularly regarding road access.
This visit is expected to strengthen synergy between the central government, port operators, and local governments in accelerating the development of logistics support infrastructure in Merauke.
(ISL News Editorial Team/Corcom SPTP).
