Amid the slow down economy, Pelabuhan Indonesia (PT. Pelindo) still enjoyed an increase in throughput its ports handled last year (2023), both container and non-container volume.
This state-owned port operator enjoyed a 3% container throughput yearly growth, to 17.7 million TEUs and 6% growth in cargo handled, to 170 million tons.
Commending such positive performance, PT. Pelindo President Director Arif Suhartono says, “This is a positive trend post-merger. Since 2021, we continue to keep our positive improvement in operation.”
In line with the throughput positive growth, ship calls also increased, by 7%, to 1.28 billion GT (Gross Tonnage). Total passengers, meanwhile, grew higher, by 20%, to 18.1 million heads.
Arif revealed that centralized management model is one of the keys to improving operational performance. Arif explained that this allows Pelindo to have better strategic control, making it easier to carry out end-to-end operational service transformations such as creating standardization of port operational service systems which previously varied among ports.
Pelindo has also continued doing innovations by launching various applications to facilitate port activities. Say TOS (Terminal Operating System) to support container services, PTOS-M (Pelindo Terminal Operating System Multipurpose) to strengthen non-container services, and Phinnisi for the ship service operating system.
“Operational standardization overall our ports nationwide and effective management of all Pelindo personnel have make us come to this position, while some strategic steps in 2023 by utilizing the latest technology such as TOS, PTOS-M and Phinnisi have supported to increase operational efficiency,” Arif explained.
Post-merger, there are evidences to say an improvement in loading unloading activities overall Pelindo ports, proven by increasing BSH (box/ship/hour) and BCH (box/crane/hour). The BSH at Belawan Container Terminal (TPK) had even tripled, from 20 boxes to 60 boxes per ship per hour. Another port in East Indonesia Ambon Container Terminal, also tripled, from 12 boxes to 35 boxes.
As reported earlier, operating cost of shipping lines doing business at Sorong Port (container terminal TPK Sorong) has down over 30% Shorter port-stay and the increasing productivity indicated by the higher and higher BSH (box/ship/hour), have helped shipping performance to stay at this position, thanks to the operational transformation and human resources improvement the terminal operator has done.
“There is such a significant improvement in operation in the last year. The stevedoring went faster, resulting in a shorter port stay. Of course, this impacted on our operating cause,” Faizal Arifin, Sorong Branch Head of PT Salam Pacific Indonesia Lines (SPIL), said.
“It is hard to count the amount of saving from this, but our operating cost during berthing has been down by over 30%,” said Faisal, admitting that shipping lines also got additional benefits from the shorter TRV (turn round voyage).
Echoing this, Sorong Branch Head of PT Tanto Intim Line (Tanto) Slamet Riyanto admitted that container services in Sorong were getting better, thanks to the Pelindo transformation programs that supported this terminal performance to get better.
He also admitted that this better performance has encouraged shipping lines to add more services. Tanto, the second leading shipping line to TPK Sorong with market share of 31%, has added its calls to 5 per month, from 3 calls earlier. But, he expects Pelindo to continue improve human resources competence, skill, and work ethos.
Like shipping lines, forwarders also admitted the operation transformation and digitalization has helped fastening the process of document and container delivery from the terminal, thanks to the adoption of IBS (Integrated Billing System).
Ernest Montolalu, owner of forwarding Serakoy Raya homebased in Jayapura (Papua), explained that the IBS has helped the forwarders in document process, while the planning control-based operation at the terminal has cut down the TRT (truck round time) for delivering a container from terminal.
“No need to queue at the counter to process documents, but by online via IBS. The billing process is also faster via this IBS,” Ernest explained.
“The TRT is also become shorter and shorter. A truck only spends more than 15 minutes to load a container from a terminal,” he said.
The National Strategy for Corruption Prevention (Stranas-PK) conformed that any improvement programs of Pelindo have been in line with the programs to encourage the prevention of acts of corruption in the port environment.
“We think that Pelindo, with its digitalization program, has produced results. In simple terms, port digitalization has had a positive impact on the loading and unloading process, which is currently faster and more cost efficient,” said Pahala Nainggolan, Deputy for Prevention and Monitoring at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
In 2024, Pelindo will continue the transformation program in the company environment, while at the same time trying to increase its role, not only as a maritime gateway but also as a traffic stimulator, namely encouraging the growth of goods traffic through the integration of industrial areas with ports.
“We continue to collaborate with various stakeholders, both government and investors, so that we can build an integrated industrial area with a port which will ultimately encourage efficiency in terms of logistics costs,” concluded Arif.
