[240415.EN.BIZ] New Indonesia Rule Requiring Extra Screening Risks EU Export Ban

INDONESIAN Transport Minister Ignasius Jonan has issued a new regulation concerning air cargo and supply chain safety that requires logistics companies to have freight screened by regulated agents (RA) in Line 2 (unrestricted) areas at international airports before being moved to the secure Line 1 areas.

Since most RA firms lack screening expertise, logistics firms and airlines will have to screen the cargo once again in Line 1 before shipment boards an aircraft because of fears that security could be compromised during the move from Line 2 to Line 1.

Forwarders have raised concerns that the new policy may have a detrimental impact on exports as the shipment of cargo from Indonesia may be subject to delays or even banned by the European Union, and small- and medium-sized logistics firms may be forced out of business, reports the Jakarta Post.

"There are concerns over safety compromises in the new regulation," said Indonesian Logistics and Forwarders Association chief Yukki Nugrahawan Hanafi.

"From what I know, the EU will have to validate the new procedure, otherwise our freight cannot enter Europe," he said.

Aside from safety issues, the regulation revision could also disrupt the supply chain as it could delay cargo arrivals. "Customers choose air cargo because it's faster. By moving the inspection area, we may see delays of up to two days," Mr Yukki said.

The Law and Human Rights Ministry is currently reviewing the regulation before it takes effect on May 31.

Source : HKSG, 24.04.15.

[240415.ID.BIZ] Penyerapan Anggaran Kemenhub Baru 10%

Bisnis.com, JAKARTA—Menteri Perhubungan Ignasius Jonan mengatakan penyerapan Anggaran Pendapatan dan Belanja Negara (APBN) Perubahan 2015 Kementerian Perhubungan yang baru mencapai 10% dari seluruh anggaran Rp65triliun.

Dia menjelaskan minimnya penyerapan tersebut merupakan hal yang wajar karena kurang lebih kementerian lain pun dipastikan mengalami hal yang sama. Dia mengungkapkan tidak masalah dengan pencapaiannya daripada harus memulai proyek yang asal-asalan.

 “Penyerapan APBN dan APBN-P 2015 baru 10% terhitung sampai akhir Maret. Ya kurang lebih tiga bulan pertama ini semua kementerian juga mengalami hal yang sama kok,” katanya Jumat (24/4).

Jonan menerangkan Daftar Isian Pelaksanaan Anggaran (DIPA) APBN 2015 pun, ucapnya, baru turun pada Februari lalu dan APBNP 2015 baru turun bulan ini. Untuk suatu pembangunan dibutuhkan masterplan atau rencana induk yang hukumnya wajib ada. Misalnya untuk bangun bandara, kereta api, maupun pelabuhan. Selain itu, pembangunan juga perlu membuat amdal (analisis dampak lingkungan) guna mencegah adanya perkara hukum dikemudian hari.

“Sekarang sedang coba prosedur internal seperti proses pengadaan barang dan jasa bisa dipercepat. Maksudnya, proses yang tidak perlu ya dikurangi saja tapi tetap melihat faktor kehati-hatian dan transparansi apabila ada penyimpangan,” paparnya.

Untuk lebih mempercepat penyerapan anggaran, Jonan menggunakan jasa Lembaga Kebijakan Pengadaan Barang dan Jasa Pemerintah (LKPP) atau proses tender untuk pengadaan barang dan jasa. Selain itu, dia mengatakan akan memangkas prosedur internal, seperti review proyek yang dilakukan oleh Badan Penelitian dan Pengembangan (Balitbang) Kemenhub sendiri dan pimpinan bertanggung jawab apabila diminta selesai dalam waktu dua minggu tanpa melewati lembaga lain (eksternal).

"Saya sih maunya tahun ini bisa menyerap sampai 100%, ya kalau tidak jangan beda jauh sama tahun lalu sekitar 85%. Tapi, tetap harus utamakan masterplan dan amdal yang memang memakan waktu," imbuhnya.

Sejauh ini, ungkapnya, belum ada rencana proyek yang dibatalkan olehnya. Dia berharap di pertengahan tahun penyerapannya bisa naik menjadi 30%, 9 bulan naik lagi 60% dan akhir tahun lebih banyak lagi. Tahun ini, Jonan menargetkan menyelesaikan perbaikan di 50 bandara dan 170 pelabuhan. Dirinya berjanji akan bekerja semaksimal mungkin efektif dan tepat waktu.

Sumber : Bisnis Indonesia, 24.04.15.

[230415.EN.BIZ] German Train Drivers Stage 66-Hour Strike - to Cost US$107 Million Daily

GERMAN train drivers began a 66-hour strike over higher pay and greater union influence, expected to cost as much as EUR100 million (US$107 million) a day in production stoppages, Reuters reports.

Despite this, Deutsche Bahn said that it aims to have about one third of trains running.

Twenty per cent of German freight moves by rail and millions of commuters use trains every day.

The union, the Gewerkschaft Deutscher Lokomotivfuhrer (GDL), representing 10 per cent of Deutsche Bahn’s 200,000 workers, wants five per cent more pay, a shortened work week of 37 hours instead of 39 and the right to negotiate for other rail workers.

The Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (BDI) industry association said the strike would hit the whole country and that after a few days, the cost of disruption from assembly line stoppages could balloon to as much as EUR100 million a day.

"GDL is acting irresponsibly and has lost all sense of proportion," BDI manager Dieter Schweer said, adding that chemical, steel and auto sectors could be hardest hit

Germany’s steel industry association, which transports 200,000 tonnes of raw materials and steel daily by rail, said a three-day strike would cause "huge problems" and could cost the sector millions of euros in additional costs.

The DIHK chambers of commerce also criticised the strike, with chief economist Alexander Schumann saying it was not only an annoyance for commuters but that it could cost firms "a significant amount of money".

Source : HKSG.

[230415.ID.BIZ] Banten Siap Garap Bojonegara Jika Pusat Restui

Kabar24.com, JAKARTA--Pemerintah Provinsi Banten bersedia cari investor sendiri untuk proyek kawasan industri Bojonegara di Serang beserta infrastruktur pendukungnya.

Plt. Gubernur Banten Rano Karno menyatakan sedianya pemprov mau mencari investor untuk jadi mitra dalam menggarap proyek tersebut. Tapi hal ini baru bisa dilakukan jika pemerintah pusat menyerahkan proyek Bojonegara seutuhnya jadi program provinsi.

“Kalau pemerintah pusat serahkan ke kami, kami akan cari investor saking pentingnya proyek ini. Kewenangan proyek ini sekarang di pemerintah pusat,” kata Rano kepada Bisnis, di Tangerang, belum lama ini.

Berdasarkan rencana tata ruang Pemprov Banten 2010 – 2030, Serang diarahkan untuk pengembangan industri, pelabuhan, pergudangan, pariwisata, jasa, dan perdagangan. Bojonegara sendiri dinyatakan layak secara keekonomian untuk dikembangkan bertahap.

Oleh karena itu dibutuhkan komitmen dan gerak cepat guna mengembangkan infrastruktur pendukung, seperti kawasan industri alat berat dan pembangkit listrik, tol menuju keluar Cilegon barat, dan pembebasan lahan untuk pelebaran jalan menuju kawasan. Ada pula infrastruktur pembangunan lintasan kereta api menuju kawasan serta pemenuhan AMDAL.

Pola tata ruang di Bojonegara dinyatakan dekat dengan jalur perdagangan atau pelayaran internasional. Oleh karena itu pengembangan kawasan ini akan dilengkapi dengan pelabuhan sehingga arus pelayaran masuk dan keluar Indonesia lebih lancar.

Sumber : Bisnis Indonesia, 23.04.15.

[220415.EN.SEA] NYK to Fix Focus On Logistics Rather Than Containership Operations

JAPANESE shipping giant Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) is plotting a new course by diversifying into integrated logistics focusing on distribution, rather than rely on being a container shipping line in a market plagued by overcapacity.

"We have considered business diversification, such as expansion into logistics, to be essential in order to continue to grow in the 21st century," said the group's new president, Tadaaki Naito, in his inauguration speech.

"This transformation has required us to become a diverse, integrated logistics company focusing on all areas of distribution, rather than relying on the liner trade alone.

"Given the highly sophisticated nature of logistics today, we must gain an awareness of the needs of our customers through thorough analysis of customer demands by our people on the front lines."

The company's current mid-term plan calls for investment of JPY80 billion (US$626.4 million) in the ocean liner trade and logistics business in the five years to March 31, 2019.

In addition to the group's container shipping business, NYK operates air and ocean freight forwarding and contract logistics services via its Yusen Logistics organisation. Its air freight activities also include Nippon Cargo Airlines, which operates a fleet of Boeing 747 freighters.

Between April and December 2014 the recurring profits of the company's global logistics business grew to JPY12 billion from the year-ago level of JPY500 million owing to improvements across its liner, air cargo and other logistics divisions.

According to Mr Naito, the shipping and logistics industries overall offer "promising growth" despite persistent overcapacity since 2008, and that the company is especially keen to tap demand growth in emerging markets.

"We expect that the Asia region and emerging nations such as the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) will continue to show high growth rates going.

Source : HKSG.

[220415.ID.BIZ] Restorasi Bangunan De Driekleur Bandung, BTPN Diganjar Penghargaan Unesco

Bisnis.com, JAKARTA - PT Bank Tabungan Pensiunan Nasional Tbk (BTPN) raih penghargaan dari United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Apresiasi berwujud pada 2014 UNESCO Asia Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation kategori Honourable Mention.

BTPN meraih penghargaan karena restorasi bangunan De Driekleur atau tiga warna di kawasan Dago, Bandung, Jawa Barat.

"Kami berterimakasih kepada UNESCO yang telah memberikan penghargaan ini dan bangga bisa menjadi bagian dalam upaya merawat cagar budaya di Kota Bandung melalui restorasi De Driekleur," ujar Wakil Direktur Utama BTPN Ongki W. Dana dalam siaran pers yang diterima Bisnis.com, Rabu (22/4/2015).

Dia berharap upaya BTPN dalam melestarikan cagar budaya tersebut dapat bermanfaat bagi masyarakat Bandung.

"Masyarakat nantinya bila berkunjung ke BTPN Sinaya cabang Dago ini dapat menikmati cagar budaya dan sejarah yang dijaga dengan baik," katanya.

Kota Bandung, lanjut Ongki, merupakan cikal bakal lahirnya BTPN sejak 57 tahun lalu. Oleh karena itu, BTPN merasa wajib untuk memberikan kontribusi kepada kota Bandung.

Proses restorasi bangunan De Driekleur yang menghabiskan waktu kurang lebih empat tahun ini dipimpin oleh Budi Lim, seorang arsitek berpengalaman dengan keahlian konservasi dan restorasi.

Keahlian Budi Lim dibuktikan dengan penghargaan tertinggi UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards pada 2001 karena telah merestorasi Gedung Museum Arsip Nasional di Jakarta.

Arsitek Budi Lim menambahkan De Driekleur dibangun pada 1938 oleh arsitek Belanda bernama Albert Frederik Aalbers.

Aalbers kala itu, lanjutnya, termasuk sebagai salah satu arsitek paling mashur seantero Hindia Belanda. Aalbers dan arsitek-arsitek muda lainnya sedang menggandrungi aliran seni yang dikenal dengan Art Deco.

"Sebagian besar waktu justru saya habiskan untuk melakukan riset atas gedung ini dan material-material yang digunakan oleh arsitek. Kami berupaya keras merestorasi kembali bangunan ini sesuai aslinya," tutur Budi.

Rancangan Art Deco ini mempunyai bahasa arsitektur yang jelas yang mencerminkan jiwa kebebasan dan kemajuan. Ruang-ruangnya mempunyai fungsi yang jelas selalu menekankan kualitas ruang daripada kuantitas. Art Deco selalu mempunyai skala yang bersahaja dan manusiawi.

"Selama 4-5 tahun saya mempelajari bangunan De Driekleur yang dibuat oleh Aalbers ini saya melihat adanya benang merah antara BTPN dengan spirit dan khas jiwa Art Deco yang memperhatikan masyarakat menengah dan kelas bawah," terang Budi.

Sumber : Bisnis Indonesia, 22.04.15 / Kredit Foto : duniadarisudutmataku.blogspot.com.

[210415.EN.SEA] Intra-Asia's Value and Volume Booms As Rising Middle Class Demand Grows

THE appearance of larger vessels in intra-Asia trade lanes has prompted expectations of significant growth in that market's cargo value and volume, reports London's Loadstar.

First it noted that Thai feeder operator Regional Container Lines (RCL) has deployed larger vessels on its Singapore-Manila (RMN) and Singapore-Ho Chi Minh (RHS) services, upsizing vessels from 1,600 TEU to 2,000 TEU and 1,080 TEU to 1,600 TEU.

And later this month, RCL will also launch a direct service between Thailand and Myanmar, said the report.

Despite slower growth in 2014, the intra-Asia market is still fastest-growing trade route worldwide, with recent estimates from Maersk Line's intra-Asia subsidiary, MCC Transport, placing volumes at 30 million TEU a year.

With feedering and cabotage, that figure could be as high as 35 million TEU, according to MCC, and represent 22 per cent of the entire global container trade.

What strikes RCL vice president Charlie Chu is that the growth of the middle class in Asia as a driver of demand.

"We see higher-value, finished cargo being shipped within Asia as the middle class continues to grow - thereby there is more use of 40ft high-cubed versus 20ft containers," he said.

"We are seeing greater competition in intra-Asia from the global carriers as it now has the biggest trade volumes in the world at a high level [of freight rates]," said Mr Chu.

Other new or upgraded services include those recently announced by "K" Line, APL, Evergreen, Pacific International Lines (PIL), Hanjin Shipping and OOCL.

"K" Line launched a service between China and south east Asia, while Singapore's APL will add a new call at Jubail, Saudi Arabia, to its West Asia Express (WAX) service.

Meanwhile Taiwan's Evergreen has upgraded its intra-Asia offering by launching a Taiwan, Shenzhen-Shekou to Malacca Strait service (TSS), as well as a dedicated Taiwan-Hong Kong loop (THK).

Singapore's PIL made its intentions clear by taking a major shareholding in Mariana Express Lines, which specialises in shipments to Hawaii and the Pacific islands, said Loadstar.

Come April 27, PIL will join "K" Line and Hanjin to launch the weekly China Straits Express. The service will link ports in China, Thailand and Vietnam with four 2,500 TEU vessels.

Last month, Hong Kong's OOCL introduced the Central PRC/South East Asia Service (CSS), loop to enhance its portfolio in the intra-Asia market. The CSS will provide direct connections between central Chinese ports, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore, Jakarta and Laem Chabang.

Another development is escalating ship sizes that has resulted in cascading postpanamaxes into intra-Asia networks.

"Mega alliances and vessels will create opportunities for us to combine shipper-owned container (SOC) and carrier-owned container (COC) loadings on the same service, allowing us to string up longer and more frequent port-to-port services that meet the combined needs of SOC and COC customers," said Mr Chu.

On the impact of vessel upsizing and mega alliances on Asia's port productivity, Mr Chu pointed out some potential limitations.

"Draft, terminal productivity and congestion issues may limit upsizing and enjoy lowest unit cost per TEU on a number of intra-Asia corridors.

"Terminals are becoming increasingly congested in Asia, with securing a preferred berth an issue at times. In some countries, there is also limited investment in some facilities, with politics and finances being issues," he said.

Source : HKSG, 21.04.15 / Illustration : Bignews.big.