PH-Indonesia RoRo to set sail on April 2017

An improvement in trade and economic opportunities between the Philippines and Indonesia should be in the horizon when the Davao-General Santos-Bitung, Indonesia (D-G-B) Shipping Service launches this April 2017.

 

In a report published by the Philippine News Agency last Friday, January 27, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that the inter-agency Task Force for the Operationalization of the ASEAN Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro-Ro) route met last week in Indonesia to polish the details for the maiden voyage that will connect the cities of Davao and General Santos City to Bitung, Indonesia.

Representatives from both countries also checked on their port infrastructure readiness, the policy and institutional framework needed for the route, identification of the different types and volumes of cargo that can be taken on the route, lifting of certain trade restrictions at Bitum Port, and worked on a draft of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Philippines and Indonesia.

The ASEAN Ro-Ro Initiative seeks to maximize the use of regional sea lanes for commerce and trade. The D-G-B route looks to cut time and be more cost-efficient than the current Manila-Jakarta route.

Shipping done through the D-G-B route will only take one and a half days to complete, excluding port stay, compared to the three to five weeks it takes for the Manila-Jakarta route.

The route is set to be launched on April 28, 2017, with Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Indonesian President Joko Widodo gracing the event.

Source: Philippine News Agency, Manila Bulletin, Manila Standard