Karimun to have container port

Karimun, Riau (ANTARA News) - Karimun District administration in Riau
Islands province this year will soon build a container port on a
70-hectare plot of land which is only 25-minute sailing from Singapore
and Malaysia.

The container port is badly needed to meet market demand as well as to
support the operation of the special economic zone (KEK) and to prepare
a free trade era, Nurdin Basirun, Karimun district head said here on
Thursday.

"The container port will be built beside a planned 300-hectare
reclamation industrial area in Malarko village, Tebing subdistrict,
northern part of Karimun Besar island," he said.

A road leading to the container port project had already been built in
2007 as an indication that the local government is serious to meet
market demands, Nurdin said.

Meanwhile, Cendra, head of the district transportation office said the
first-stage construction fund of Rp27 billion will be taken from the
2008 national budget.(*) END