Govt to imposes levies on fishing permits, catches<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Fishing companies, depending on their vessel
\ntypes and capacities, will have to pay between Rp 11,250 (about
\nUS$1.18) and Rp 109,773 per gross tonnage (GT) when applying for
\na fishing permit beginning this year.<\/p>\n
The levy requirement is stipulated in Regulation No. 141\/2000,
\none of two new regulations announced by the Ministry of Maritime
\nAffairs and Fisheries on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The other directive, Regulation No. 142\/2000, requires fishing
\ncompanies to pay levies of 2.5 percent on their fish catch. The
\namount of the payment is to be based on a reference price set by
\nthe government.<\/p>\n
\"Both regulations were issued on Dec. 15, last year and became
\neffective 30 days after their issuance,\" the ministry's spokesman
\nZukafril told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said that before issuing the two regulations, the
\ngovernment did not impose any levies on either permits or
\nproduction.<\/p>\n
According to him, the government can earn an estimated Rp 290
\nbillion annually in non-tax revenue through the two levies.<\/p>\n
Aside from raising its revenue, he said, the government also
\nwanted to better control the fishing industry.<\/p>\n
\"One consideration for imposing them (the levies) is to
\nachieve a more sustainable development of the fishing industry,\"
\nhe explained.<\/p>\n
He said the growing number of vessels operating amid depleting
\nfishing resources, required a tighter control of these natural
\nassets.<\/p>\n
\"We have many interested parties but limited fishing
\nresources,\" he stressed.<\/p>\n
He said that with the levies on fishery production, the catch
\nof a fishing vessel would be counted each time it unloaded it at
\na harbor.<\/p>\n
To supervise the implementation of these new regulations, he
\nsaid, his ministry would cooperate with the navy and other
\nrelated government offices.<\/p>\n
Because the regulations would become effective as of next
\nweek, he hoped the fishing industry had enough time to discern
\nthe new policies.<\/p>\n
\"There is some time left, we can still do some publicity on
\nthe regulations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Data from the ministry estimates Indonesia's fishing potential
\nat 6.7 million tons of fish per year, which makes up about 10
\npercent of the world's fishing resources.<\/p>\n
Last year, fish exports from Indonesia are estimated to have
\ngrown by 8 percent from the 1999 figure to US$1.74 billion.<\/p>\n
In terms of volume, the country's fish exports rose by about
\n9 percent to 700,000 tons.<\/p>\n
New investments in the fishing sector between January and
\nSeptember last year were estimated at Rp 1.46 trillion.<\/p>\n
Most of these investments were in fishing operations, fish
\nfarming and fish processing.<\/p>\n
Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Sarwono
\nKusumaatmadja has said his office was preparing new investment
\nschemes to lure in foreign investors, especially from China,
\nJapan, India and Europe.(bkm)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-to-imposes-levies-on-fishing-permits-catches-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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