MANOKWARI. A Chinese cement factory PT SDIC Semen Papua Indonesia, in Maruni, West Papua hopes to produce 320 tons of cement per day.
The factory coming on line late last year has been built with a new steam powered electric plant, which also supplies power to the state electricity company PLN in Manokwari.
The factory is expected to help boost economic development in that area in addition to providing more jobs for local people, company spokesman Tomi has said.
Tomi acknowledged many Chinese workers were involved in the construction of the factory and its infrastructure including the power plant, and special port, but PT SDIC has trained local workers when the process of construction was underway to replace the Chinese.
Head of the regional Manpower and Transmigration Office Pascalina Yamlean said here on Tuesday (10/1) currently 322 Indonesians worked for PT SDIC Papua Cement Indonesia and its partner companies and sub-contractor.
They are not only from Manokwari but also from other Indonesian regions, Pascalina said.
The factory has no problem with the raw material.Limestone is available in abundance in Maruni, and quartz sand is brought in from Kalimantan.
PT SDIC plans to get quartz sand from Gunung Botak in the regency of Manokwari Selatan, but for that it needs the license to change the land function.
"The district administration hopes that PT SDIC Papua Cement Indonesia would not only provide jobs for local people but also accelerate economic development in the region," Pascalina said He also hopes that the number of foreign workers would be reduced to provide more jobs for local people.
Pascalina said the number of Chinese workers in the company had been reduced gradually and now there are only 344 remaining from around 700 originally.
In PT SDIC alone, there are 135 foreign workers holding important positions such as directors, marketing director,civil engineer, maintenance engineer, hydraulic engineer, marketing managers,mechanical engineer,design engineer,building structure engineer,production engineer,quality control engineer, and electrical engineer.
In the sub-contractor Sinocont , there are 37 foreign workers and in China Railway Nineteen Bureau (CRCC19), there are 97 holding similar positions .
There are also foreign workers in sub-contractor PT Indonesia River and PT Sinoma Engineering Indonesia.
Earlier, Arfak tribal chief Dominggus Mandacan said so far cement needed by local people and building contractors had to be brought in from java resulting in soaring price upon arrival in the region.
With the operation of the factory the cement price is expected to be much cheaper in Manokwari and other areas in Papua and West Papua, as transport cost is saved much, Dominggus said.
"We no longer need to spend much on cement alone in building a house," he said.
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