REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JEPARA -- Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said he would support plan of the Jepara district administration to build a big port that could serve ocean going ships in the Central Java's coastal district.

Basuki visited the location in the village of Tubanan, sub-district of Kembang together with Industry Minister Saleh Husin on Saturday.

He said the port would serve as an alternative to the Tanjung Mas port of Semarang which has been too overcrowded.

He said he would also build a housing complex in that area for the port workers and those of factories in the industrial estate, which is also to be built in that area.

In fact support was already given in the form of promoting the provincial road in Jepara to national road, the minister said.

Deputy Regent of Jepara Subroto said 2,800 hectares of land for the project have been available owned by the district administration.

"The construction cost would not be too expensive as it would not need land filling. The the ground is hard on a hilly land," Subroto said.

Around one kilometer from the coast line, the sea has a depth of 16 meters, that even a mother hip could land safely in the port, he added.

The district administration also plans to build an industrial estate integrated with the port project, he said.

The district administration is hopeful that the project could be implemented to bring modernity to one of the country's the poorest areas, he said.

"We are convinced that the port and the industrial estate would greatly improve the economy of the district and would certainly open many jobs for local people," he added.

He said 100 hectares of the industrial estate would be set aside for small industries.

Industry Minister Saleh Husin said it is regulation to set aside 2 percent of industrial estate for small industries.

The minister said it is also necessary to amend regional regulation on land layout that the port and industrial estate project would not contradict the law.

Coordination is needed with other agencies such as the transport ministry as the port and the industrial estate would need wide road that could sustain heavy vehicles such as container trucks, he added.

The minister promised to help in coordination that the project could be implemented.

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