Peak Event Of Sail Karimata Strait To Be Held On October 15

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - International maritime event Sail Karimata Strait 2016 will be held on October 15, 2016 in four provinces - West Kalimantan, Jambi, Bangka Belitung and Riau Islands.

The peak event would have four main activities, Safri Burhanuddin, deputy IV of the Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs, said during a coordinating meeting on the event here on Thursday.

The four main activities are a national seminar on maritime affairs to be organized in Jambi on August 25, 2016; the main event to be held in North Kayong District, West Kalimantan, on October 15; Belitung festival on October 22; and Riau Islands Maritime Festival on October 28.

A series of the Sail Karimata Strait will begin on June 1, Burhanuddin informed during the meeting attended by Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Rizal Ramli and Industry Minister Saleh Husin.

Rizal Ramli observed that the event, which is part of annual Sail Indonesia, must yield benefits for the community.

"As requested by the President, we don't want it just to be another event. We want to see benefits before and after the activity, for the community. The development should also be more coordinated," he added.

The people should be able to see concrete benefits, including renovation of seaports, roads, markets and water supply, he stressed.

The 2016 edition of the Sail Karimata Strait will be the eighth since Sail Indonesia was held for the first time in 2009.

The event is aimed at promoting tourism and boosting regional development. (WDY)