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JAKARTA – The Indonesian government is emphasising the need to implement the roll-on/roll-off ferry service project between Dumai in Riau province and Melaka, Malaysia.
The project will increase the connectivity of economic corridors under the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), said President Joko Widodo.
In a statement, he said this is in line with Indonesia’s priority on building physical connectivity via ports, airports, and toll roads, including the Trans-Sumatra stretching across Sumatra.
Jokowi announced this on the sidelines of the Asean summit held during the 14th IMT-GT Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia yesterday.
Riau province and the Melaka government are reportedly reopening the discussion on the continuity of the Dumai-Melaka ferry project, after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Riau Governor H. Syamsuar and Melaka Tourism, Heritage, and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Muhammad Jailani Khamis held a discussion in May this year.
Jokowi said speeding up physical connectivity will help the sub-region’s economic growth and vision to become an integrated, innovative, inclusive, and sustainable sub-region by 2036.
He added that the tourism sector also needs to be revitalised through digital marketing, sustainable tourism development, and the launch of the IMT-GT Visit Year 2023-2025 initiative.
While halal tourism continues to be developed, he said, the sub-region must identify the right green economy opportunity to achieve sustainable energy development, as stated in the Green City Development Framework 2019-2036. – Bernama, November 11, 2022