BALI INDONESIA (ISL News) – PT Pelindo Jasa Maritim (PJM) Group held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on Procedures and Stages of Pricing for Ship Pilotage and Towing Services in Bali on Wednesday (June 18). This activity served as a forum to strengthen synergy between regulators, port operators, and service users in realizing a transparent, competitive, and sustainable pricing system.
The FGD was attended by representatives from the Directorate General of Sea Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation, management of PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Persero), Pelindo Regional, and PJM Group management. The forum allowed stakeholders to discuss a pricing mechanism for pilotage and towing services that adapts to developments in the national maritime industry.
Suhendra Ratuprawiranegara, Director of Strategy and Commercial Affairs at PT Pelindo Jasa Maritim, emphasized that pilotage and towing services play a strategic role in ensuring the safety, security, and smooth flow of vessel traffic in port areas. In addition to supporting port operations, these services are also a crucial factor in maintaining the efficiency of the national logistics chain and enhancing the competitiveness of Indonesian ports.
"Ship pilotage and towing services are not merely operational services at ports, but are a crucial part of maintaining shipping safety, smooth logistics flows, and the competitiveness of national ports. Therefore, the implemented pricing system must accommodate the need for improved services while ensuring investment sustainability and certainty for all stakeholders," said Suhendra.
Amidst the ever-evolving dynamics of the maritime industry, demands for service quality, shipping safety, compliance with operational standards, and investment in supporting facilities and infrastructure continue to rise. Therefore, the management of pilotage and towing service rates must be carried out professionally, transparently, accountably, and fairly for all stakeholders.
According to Suhendra, regulatory changes and developments in government policies have opened up space for Port Business Entities to continue improving service quality through a pricing mechanism that takes into account aspects of costs, investment, service levels, and user aspirations.
Through this FGD, Pelindo Jasa Maritim seeks to improve shared understanding of the regulations and pricing mechanisms for pilotage and towing services, align perspectives between regulators, port operators, and service users, and identify various challenges and opportunities for improvement in the tariff determination and adjustment process.
"Through this FGD, we hope to gain a more comprehensive understanding and gather constructive input to realize a transparent, competitive, and sustainable tariff policy, thereby supporting the growth of the national maritime sector," he added.
In addition, this forum also serves as a means to gather various constructive inputs to support the realization of fair tariff policies, which are able to guarantee investment sustainability, improve the quality of shipping services and safety, and strengthen national logistics efficiency.
PJM believes that a good tariff system should not only reflect the cost of services, but should also be able to support the growth of the maritime sector and encourage sustainable economic development in Indonesia.
Through close collaboration between regulators, port operators, and service users, it is hoped that a more transparent, adaptive, and competitive pricing mechanism will be created to address future challenges in the maritime industry.
(ISL News Editorial Team/Corcom PJM).
