JAKARTA. State-owned port management company PT Pelindo III will soon manage four additional ports in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), following the government’s plan to transfer the management of the ports to a business entity.

The management transfer process of the four ports, namely Labuan Bajo and Reo in Flores island and Atapupu and Wini in Timor island, is expected to be completed in the middle of this year, Pelindo III Kupang general manager Boy Rubyanto told Antara news agency on Friday.

“The Transportation Ministry and the Finance Ministry are still talking about the transfer pattern, whether it will be an endowment from the government to the state-owned enterprise or a joint operation,” he said.

Once the transfer is completed, Pelindo III will upgrade the infrastructure of the ports before operating them as supporting hubs for the government’s sea toll road program, Boy added.

“We will focus on repairing the docks, passenger terminals and road infrastructure at those ports,” he said.

The company currently operates 43 ports in seven provinces, including Central Java, East Java and NTT.

Editor: Barratut Taqiyyah Rafie