VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Head of the East Nusa Tenggara Transportation Service, Isyak Nuka, confirmed that six ports of the province will be covered under the new sea toll route connecting Surabaya-Kupang-Marauke.

"Tenau, Wini, Atapupu, Waingapu, Reo, and Labuan Bajo are the six stopover ports of the new sea toll route," he noted on Monday.

Nuka remarked that this new sea toll service was operated by the central government, through the Ministry of Transportation, as of September 15, 2021, using the KM Kendhaga Nusantara 7 ship.

This sea toll ship service aids to carry materials required by the community from the Tanjung Perak Port, Surabaya, to the Tenau Port, Kupang City, as a hub port.

Thereafter, the ship will continue to Marauke via the Wini Port, North Timor Tengah District, or Atapupu Port, Belu District.

Meanwhile, during the reverse route from Marauke, the ship will stop at Atapupu Port or Wini Port, Tenau Port, and then head to Waingapu Port, East Sumba District, followed by a visit to Reo Port, Manggarai District, and Labuan Bajo Port, West Manggarai District, and then head straight to Surabaya.

Isyak Nuka has called on related stakeholders in the NTT community, such as traders and businesspersons, to make the most of the opportunities presented by the new sea toll's service to boost their businesses.

The public is also welcomed to prepare various agricultural, plantation, marine, and fishery products as well as handicrafts and other goods to be traded in eastern Indonesia as well as to Java.

"This sea toll ship is indeed readied by the government to boost the economy of the people in eastern Indonesia," he pointed out.

He was optimistic that the sea toll service would increase trade activities between NTT, Papua, and Java, which in return will drive economic growth in NTT. (Antaranews)