Kendari, July 3(Antama) - Implementation of a mega project of the state-owned port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo)IV has been put on hold over delay in preparation of analysis of environmental impact (Amdal).
Pelindo plans to build a Rp1 trillion container port here with fund from 2015 state budget, but implementation has yet to wait until Amdal is completed.
The process of preparing Amdal has been delayed as the procedure has to be started from the beginning,head of the Southeast Sulawesi environment agency Hakku Wahab said
The procedure has to start from the beginning as the ministry of environment has been merged with the forestry ministry, Hakku told a meeting of regional leaders headed by Governor Nur Alam here on Friday.
"The process of preparing Amdal will take more time around two years.That is the procedure, sir," Hakku said.
A Pelindo executive Susartono said the company should have started work to build the project of "Kendari New Port" in June or July this year if Amdal has been completed as expected.
Susartono said the sea toll project planned by President Joko Widodo will include 24 port projects and one of them is in Kendari.
The Kendari container terminal is one of the largest among the projects to be built by PT Pelindo IV , he said.
Southeast Sulawesi Governor Gubernur Sultra Nur Alam , exprssed disappointment with the delay saying he would soon meet the minister for forestry and environment to discuss that matter over Amdal.
If the regional administration had been given the authority handle Amdal it would have been wrapped earlier, the governor said.
"It would not have been so complicated and become a bottleneck if the regional administration is authorized to issue the Amdal license," he said.
The Kendari container port project is the largest in Southeast Sulawesi in decades, he said.
Construction of the port is expected to take three years to start this year.
