Indonesia to accelerate maritime infrastructure development

The Indonesian government has planned to accelerate infrastructure development in maritime sector aimed at materializing President Joko Widodo's ambitious plan to make the as world's maritime axis, a minister said here Monday.

"The current administration under President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla has determined to accelerate infrastructure development in maritime sector to boost water resources that includes maritime sector," Indonesia's Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said in a statement.

Materialization of more advanced infrastructure in maritime sector will significantly improve the connectivity among the regions in the country and will eventually raise the production and efficiency amid improved logistic distribution system.

The minister said that the government has prepared integrated logistic distribution system that links land and sea transport in the country.

The minister said that Indonesia is now expecting serious investors to jointly carry out the projects, adding the president' s current visit to Japan and China is aimed at seeking serious investors.

Some 700 trillion rupiah (about 53.8 billion U.S. Dollars) is required to finance infrastructure development in maritime sector.

Indonesia has planned to build 24 seaports to facilitate the plan dubbed as "Sea Highway" program.