The logistics sector is considered to be one of the keys to accelerating economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The still high cost of logistics that is not followed by certainty and accuracy of delivery of goods makes economic costs very high. The impact is that goods in various regions of Indonesia experience quite high price disparities.
“Logistics is an important part of accelerating economic recovery when the spread of the COVID-19 virus begins to decline. The government and business actors must work hard to ensure that our logistics are more efficient and provide certainty,” explained Siswanto Rusdi, Director of the National Maritime Institute (Namarin), a research institute committed to advancing Indonesia’s maritime industry, in Jakarta, Friday, (1/10/2021).
Siswanto added, in line with economic growth that shows a positive trend, the activity of shipping manufactured goods to various regions also continues to increase. This can be seen from the increase in the volume of goods shipped at various domestic ports managed by PT Pelindo Grup.
“From Belawan, Jakarta, Surabaya and Makassar, the volume of container shipments at Pelindo Group’s ports for domestic routes shows extraordinary growth compared to 2020. This condition should also be supported by the availability of better shipping and logistics services, so that business is more efficient,” he said.
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In the first semester of 2021, Pelindo I and III recorded domestic container flows reaching 1.97 million TEUs, a double-digit increase compared to 2020.
Siswanto said that the industrial sector which grew positively also encouraged the shipping business through ports to continue to increase. The increase in the prices of a number of commodities also played a role in boosting the economy in various regions outside Java.
Previously, the Ministry of Industry reported that the manufacturing industry sector grew by 1.35% in the first semester of this year. Of this growth, the transportation equipment industry grew by 45.7%; the basic metal industry by 18.03% and the machinery and equipment industry by 16.35%.
“The growth of this industrial sector is very positive for the economy, because it can support business expansion and job availability. This is an important momentum for the shipping sector to make breakthroughs so that this high traffic of goods becomes more efficient and on time to its destination,” said Siswanto.
To support economic recovery, especially in the logistics sector, a number of shipping companies also continue to innovate. For example, PT PT Salam Pacific Indonesia Lines (SPIL) took the initiative to release a new service, SPIL PRIME.
Consumers who use this service will get many benefits. Such as certainty of getting ship space, on-time truck arrival, guarantee of ready-to-use containers and getting priority service at the depot.
“The increasingly tight competition in the shipping industry demands innovation and courage to offer shipping services that provide solutions for business people. Shipping companies must also optimize technology for greater efficiency,” said Siswanto
