Bureaucracy complicates harbor improvement
Bureaucracy complicates harbor improvement
JAKARTA (JP): Bureaucracy is complicating the efforts of the Muara Baru fish harbor authority in North Jakarta to improve both the harbor's condition and the lives of its fishermen.
Harbor Chief Sigit Kusyanto told visiting House members of Commission IV for fishery and agriculture on Monday that he lacks the authority to do much of what needs to be done.
For example, he said, "We have been lacking clean water for years. We asked the city water company PAM Jaya for an additional supply several months ago, but we have not received any response."
Bureaucracy also slows down the process of obtaining operation permits for the fishermen's ships and export documents, he said.
"Due to the complicated export document process many ships have been idle for weeks. The quality of the fish will continue to deteriorate in the meantime," Sigit said.
He also complained about the fish auction system, which has been monopolized by certain people.
For everyday operations, Muara Baru harbor needs 237 tons of diesel fuel, four tons of kerosene, 451 tons of ice, 35 tons of clean water, three tons of salt and 95,000 fish tails used as bait. "We can provide only about 70% of the daily demand. These factors have all affected the fishermen's productivity," he said.
The harbor produces an average of 4,500 tons of fish per month.
The port needs expansion and all facilities need to be improved to be able to handle the increasing number of ships commuting to the harbor everyday, he said.
As many as 208 ships park at the harbor every day, while the harbor can only accommodate 129 ships of between 30 and 50 meters in length.
The harbor authority is also having difficulties removing 44 ships which have been parked in the harbor for more than four years.
Among the 44 idle ships, 29 belong to foreigners. Most belong to Taiwanese who left their ships after their fishing permits expired and the government refused to renew them, he said.
He said efforts made to contact the ship owners have brought no results. While ships are generally allowed to park for ten days, there are no regulations limiting the number of ships that can park in the harbor.
"We want the House of Representatives to help us solve our problems here," Sigit said.
PHM Siahaan, vice chairman of the House commission, suggested that Sigit take action against the ship owners.
"I agree that the idle ships should be towed out of the harbor," he said, adding that the space should be used for active ships. (29)