Streamlining Indonesia-Timor Leste Border Connectivity, Minister Of Transportation Prepares Airports To Freight Terminals

Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi (center) visits the Indonesian border with Timor Leste in Belu Regency, Atambua, NTT. (Photo from Kemenhub Doc).

JAKARTA - Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi said that a number of transportation infrastructures were being prepared to facilitate connectivity in the border areas between Indonesia and Timor Leste.

Including optimizing airports to optimizing DAMRI transportation plans.

This was conveyed by Budi Karya Sumadi while visiting the Motaain Cross-Border Post (PLBN), Belu Regency, Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Wednesday, July 20.

Budi explained that his arrival at the Indonesia-Timor Leste border was to ensure connectivity on land, sea and air went well.

A number of transportation infrastructures are being prepared, namely in the land sector, namely building an international freight terminal (TBI) in East Nusa Tenggara Province, one of which is TBI Motaain on the border of Indonesia and Timor Leste.

"This is an activity center to check the movement of goods from Indonesia to Timor Leste or vice versa," he said in a written statement, quoted on Thursday, July 21.

Not only the airport, Budi explained that the government is also preparing a plan to operate the DAMRI bus with a route from Kupang-Dili.

Related to this, Budi also asked DAMRI to prepare a study related to this matter.

Furthermore, in the sea transportation sector, the government is currently building the Atapupu Port in Belu Regency.

The budget allocation is IDR 80 billion and comes from the APBN.

"It is currently being worked on and we will adjust the depth, because the Regent conveys that there is a desire for the community to be served by larger ships," said the Minister of Transportation.

In the air sector, Budi said he would evaluate the existence of airports in NTT. Especially at the border such as AA Bere Tallo Airport in Atambua, so that connectivity is maximized.

"In addition, it is also being proposed to open flight routes from several regions in Indonesia to Dili, Timor Leste," he said.

Budi also expressed his appreciation to the local government and a number of related parties such as marine and fisheries vocational education providers who have been providing support in border areas.

"This is proof that the government is present to the tip or border of Indonesia," he said.

For your information, on Tuesday, July 19, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and the President of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste, José Ramos-Horta, held a bilateral meeting to discuss various cooperation between the two countries.

One of the topics discussed was efforts to strengthen connectivity both on land and at sea.

For land connectivity, President Jokowi hopes that the launch of the Kupang-Dili bus route can be carried out soon.

As for sea connectivity, namely opening the Kupang-Dili-Darwin ship route.