The Essence of Evaluating Key Ports in Indonesia

The essence of evaluating a port is pivotal for decision-making, competitiveness and strategic improvement. Port management and authority may not be able to improve on their productivity if the gaps in their operations are not obvious. The focus of this research is on evaluating port productivity for key ports in Indonesia. These ports are Belawan; Tanjung Priok; Tanjung Perak; Balikpapan and Makassar. The ports in Indonesia are pivotal to the nation's development. This study will determine port performance for the years 2006-2024. The Data Envelopment Analysis Malmquist Productivity Index will be used to determine the drivers of port productivity. The study seeks to examine the port productivity trends and recommend strategies for building sustainable Indonesian ports. The implication of this research is provide the port management of the selected ports in Indonesia tangible criteria for informed decision making. JEL Codes: Keywords: Ports; Indonesia; Malmquist Productivity Index; Productivity.