Denying IMIP Morowali Airport Operating Without Authorities, Deputy Minister Of Transportation Suntana: It's Been There Since Yesterday

Deputy Minister of Transportation Suntana (third from the right). (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Transportation has spoken about the special airport of PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) or IMIP Private Airport which is in the spotlight because it operates without authority.

Deputy Minister of Transportation (Wamenhub) Suntana confirmed that IMIP airport has a permit and is registered with the Ministry of Transportation as a special airport.

Furthermore, Suntana also denied that the IMIP airport in Morowali was operating illegally.

"Registed, it's registered. It's impossible for the airport not to be registered. So there is already a permit from the state and there is a way to control it. It already exists," said Suntana at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy, Jakarta, Wednesday, November 26.

Suntana also denied reports of the absence of security officers at IMIP airport so that there was no supervision from the state.

He ensured that the supervisors of airport operations were still carried out.

Furthermore, Suntana said that currently there are security forces from across sectors stationed at IMIP airport.

"Regarding Morowali yesterday, we have placed several personnel, from Customs and Excise, the Police, from the Ministry of Transportation itself, there is already an airport authority there. So we have gone down there," he said.

Previously, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin revealed that there is an airport in Indonesia that does not have a state apparatus.

"This is an anomaly, in the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia which we must enforce regulations, but it turns out that there are still loopholes that are vulnerable to economic sovereignty and can even affect national stability," said Sjafrie in Morowali, Central Sulawesi, Thursday, November 20.

Sjafrie emphasized that this fact is one of the reasons for the TNI to hold an intercept (intercept) exercise simulation, for aircraft that may have indications of illegal activities.

According to the Minister of Defense, this is a form of state presence. Apart from being in the air, the training was also held by TNI soldiers against airports that did not have state equipment on duty at the airport.

"This is part of our evaluation to carry out a control and security by regulating the provisions that have been issued, but we cannot control the provisions that we issue ourselves," said Sjafrie.