Danantara Requires State-Owned Shipping Companies to Build Ships at PT PAL

Illustration. (Photo: Dok. Antara)

JAKARTA - Danantara Indonesia requires all State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) that operate in the shipping sector to build ships at PT PAL Indonesia (Persero).

This policy is taken as a form of state bias in strengthening the national shipbuilding industry.

BUMN that are required to build ships at PT PAL include PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia (Pelni), PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero), and PT Pertamina International Shipping (PIS).

Danantara Indonesia's Chief Operating Officer (COO) Dony Oskaria emphasized that without clear protection and impartiality, the domestic shipping industry would find it difficult to develop in the midst of global competition.

"All of our companies that are engaged in the shipping sector are required to produce at PT PAL. Without any favoritism and protection, it is impossible for us to grow. Therefore, I require Pelni, ASDP, PIS to make all their ships there," Dony told reporters in Jakarta, Thursday, January 29.

Dony explained that the policy was in line with the completion of the consolidation process of PT PAL last year.

In the future, PT PAL will be the only state-owned enterprise that operates in the shipbuilding sector, so it requires consistent demand support from within the country.

According to him, strengthening the national shipping industry will have a multiplier effect, ranging from job creation to increasing the capacity and capabilities of Indonesia's strategic industries.

"With the growth of this industry, of course there will be employment, then our ability will also increase. If we always think that they are not capable, the results are ugly, until when can we reach the point we hope for," said Dony.

Apart from the shipping sector, Danantara also encourages the transformation of the national railway industry through PT Industri Kereta Api (Persero) or INKA.

Improvement of financial performance to strengthening production facilities has been included in the INKA Company Work Plan and Budget (RKAP) for 2026.

Dony said that the development of the INKA factory in Banyuwangi, East Java, would be carried out in line with the transformation of PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) which in the next five years plans to refurbish old carriages and locomotives.

For information, the Banyuwangi factory which started operating in 2023 is limited to 2025, only able to produce around 100 train carriages.

The capacity is targeted to increase to 250 wagons by 2026.

"So this is the whole of it, I have to be in INKA. Again, without any bias to develop the industry, we will never be able to move towards an industrial-based country, so our economy will not be sustainable," said Dony.