Mindo Sitorus is expected to be a new general chairman of the Indonesian Port Business Association (locally known as its abbreviation of ABUPI) as he is considered to have competence, mature experience as a maritime entrepreneur and credible with a wide network from local, regional to international.

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Indonesian Port Business Association (locally known as its abbreviation of ABUPI) will hold the 2nd ABUPI National Conference on Thursday, February 20, 2025, with Mindo Sitorus expected to be a new general chairman.

One of the important agendas is to elect a new general chairman to lead ABUPI for the 2025-2030 period, replacing Aulia Febrial Fatwa who has finished his service as the ABUPI general chairperson for the 2020-2025 period.

Mindo Sitorus is predicted to be the right person to replace Aulia Febrial because he has competence, mature experience as a maritime entrepreneur, and is credible with local, regional and international networks.

Mindo Sitorus, who currently serves as the Chairperson of the ABUPI Central Java chapter, has a lot of experience related to port management.

He is also determined to bring ABUPI to be more advanced and respected as a business association that is taken into account in the strategic decision-making of the government of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

The main focus that he will do is to realize a modern port. This is because the geographical conditions of Indonesia make the international port sector in the country one of the main doors in the national economy.

International ports play a crucial role in supporting international trade, transportation, and logistics.

"Indonesia is capable of becoming a distribution center connecting various countries in the world with the presence of international ports. Several major ports such as Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Tanjung Perak Port in Surabaya, and Belawan Port in Medan are the backbone of export-import activities, he said.

“The increasingly modern infrastructure and continuously improved facilities make this potential port able to compete in the international arena," Mindo Sitorus told the media in Jakarta, Monday (Feb. 17).

The initiator of PT Pelabuhan Rembang Kencana emphasized that he is ready to work with the government and stakeholders in ports to make Indonesian ports more modern and integrated with other supporting services.

"I am ready to make ABUPI even better. Of course, by making the ports managed by ABUPI become modern and internationally standardized ports so that they have high competitiveness because they are more efficient, resulting in an increasingly rapid investment climate into the country," he explained.

Public Private Partnership

Mindo will also optimize the Public Private Partnership. Private cooperation with the government in terms of services at the port is increasingly being accelerated.

"The Public Private Partnership that has been established must be optimized. We must work together to realize a modern and competitive port. We are ready to support how the nation's economy can grow rapidly, become a developed country, and escape the middle-income trap in the framework of Indonesia Emas (Gold Indonesia) 2045," Mindo added.

Mindo Sitorus, who is the CEO of PT Pelabuhan Rembang Kencana, is optimistic that he would be able to bring the port industry, logistics, and maritime sector to contribute more to advancing the organization and the port sector as a whole.

Reporting by Indonesia Window