Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan:
I'm not giving up

AFTER observing the situation from a helicopter for 25 minutes, Vice President Jusuf Kalla two weeks ago decided toditch the planned development of Cilamaya port in West Java. He thinks the project would endanger the existing network of pipes and would interfere with the activities of Pertamina's nearby offshore oil and gas platform.

Although it has had the results of a study carried out by Japan's International Corporation Agency (JICA) since 2012, stating that building a project would be quite safe, the Transportation Ministry has had to accept the Vice President's recommendation to seek anoter site. During a relaxed chat with Tempo reporter Gustidha Budiartie on the Parahyangan train from Bandung to Jakarta last week, the Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan expressed both disappointment and hope over the Cilamaya port project.

April 21, 2015