The Government of Japan has decided to extend grant aid totaling 1,573 million Yen (approximately US$ 16.2 million or Rp. 177.6 billion) to Republic of Indonesia to enhance the Vessel Traffic System (VTS) in Malacca and Singapore straits.
    The diplomatic notes were signed between Mr. Kojiro Shiojiri, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Indonesia and Mr. Primo Alui Joelianto, Director General for Asia Pacific and Africa Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Indonesia, in Jakarta on November 7 (Fri), 2008.

The project title and maximum amount are as follows;
      "Enhancement of Vessel Traffic System in Malacca and Singapore Straits"
      (1,573 million Yen, approximately US$ 16.2 million or Rp. 177.6 billion)
 

Straits of Malacca and Singapore are one of the strategic marine areas for the sea transportation in the world. However these straits are known as a dangerous path because of its narrowness and topographically complicated seabed as well as a rash of piracies and armed robberies against ships. To ensure the safety and security of the straits is a challenge of utmost importance. As a nation which is a frequent user of the straits and a friend of Indonesia, Japan has been supporting the Government of Indonesia’s efforts on this matter, including the grant aid cooperation of providing patrol vessels last year.
    The Government of Indonesia plans to step up its system for managing vessel traffic on the straits to improve the safety and security here, and as a part of the endeavor, it requested the Government of Japan to extend a grant aid cooperation to fund the building of VTS center at the Batam island and related facilities.
    This project will provide VTS sensor stations to gather information on sea traffic, and a VTS center at Batu-Ampar (Batam island) to manage information from these VTS sensor stations and control vessel traffic. In the VTS center, controllers will be able to watch the locations and directions of passing vessels on the screen and give information needed for safe navigation to them by radio. Moreover, a record and play back system for traffic data to analyze movement of vessels in a state of emergency will be settled in the center.
    This cooperation is expected to improve the safety by enabling controllers to grasp and analyze the information on the locations of passing vessels easily and to maintain the security by quickening responses in a state of emergency on the straits.
 

The Government of Japan, as the largest donor country to Indonesia, will continue to assist Indonesia's efforts on the maritime security.