Kembangunan KEK Maloy Kutai Timur Tunggu Izin Operasi Kemenhub

Illustration (Photo: Doc Antara)

BALIKPAPAN - Development of the Special Economic Zone of Maloy Batuta Trans Kalimantan (KEK MBTK) located in East Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan is just waiting for an operational permit from the Ministry of Transportation.

"Alhamdulillah, we have received the permit from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. We are just waiting for the operational permit issued by the Ministry of Transportation. When the permit is available, the MBTK SEZ port will be able to operate," said Assistant to the economy and administration of the construction of the East Kalimantan Provincial Secretariat, Ujang Rahmad, as reported by ANTARA, Sunday, August 11.

Ujang believes that the permit from the Ministry of Transportation will soon be issued as an effort to accelerate the development of the Maloy SEZ to support the development of the Capital City of the Archipelago (IKN).

"We believe that the permit is quickly issued by the Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia," he said.

Ujang explained that the development of the Maloy SEZ will advance the economic growth of East Kutai.

The reason, he said, was that the main goal of developing SEZs nationally was to create new economic growth centers in Indonesia.

"We hope that the operation of the MBTK SEZ port can increase investment. In fact, there are investors who will enter and the investment will reach Rp800 billion," he explained.

It is known that the Malaoy SEZ was built by the East Kalimantan Provincial Government since 2012, located in Kaliorang District, East Kutai Regency.

Since its inauguration in 2019, the international-scale port has been constrained by several permits from the central government to operate, because it still uses temporary port permits.

Even the sustainability of the area was threatened with being revoked because it did not get operational permits from several ministries such as the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) regarding environmental permits, and the Ministry of Transportation regarding port operations.

Currently, the Central Government has issued a number of permits for the Maloy SEZ, namely permits from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia.