Deregulation of fisheries sector to be announced
Deregulation of fisheries sector to be announced
JAKARTA (JP): The government will announce next week a number
of deregulatory measures for the fisheries sector, Minister of
Agriculture Sjarifudin Baharsjah says.
Speaking to reporters here yesterday, Sjarifudin said the
planned deregulation, scheduled to be announced on Monday, is
expected to increase the efficiency and revenues of that sector.
"The deregulation is the result of a series of talks between
the directorate generals of sea transportation and of fisheries,"
Sjarifudin said after installing several officials of the
ministry and of state-owned companies.
The fisheries sector period grew by an average of 5.65 percent
a year in 1993-1995, with production reaching 4.2 million tons
last year.
In the same period, fisheries exports increased by an annual
average of 4.18 percent in volume and by 9.68 percent in value,
reaching 574,234 tons worth $1.8 billion in 1995.
Indonesia aims to increase fisheries exports by 11 percent to
$2 billion this year.
Sjarifudin explained that basically, the deregulation will
simplify the lengthy licensing rigmarole which is currently
required by both directorate generals; this will ease the
bureaucratic procedures at ports.
The final discussions for the deregulation were scheduled to
take place yesterday afternoon between Sjarifudin, Minister of
Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto and Coordinating Minister for
Production and Distribution Hartarto.
Sjarifudin declined to mention which licensing processes will
be slashed or how much revenues the government will lose with the
deregulation.
He said that the long-debated issue of easing imports of used
fishing vessels will be included.
In the last couple of years, businesses have complained that
locally-manufactured vessels are too expensive, while banks are
reluctant to provide them with loans since the business is
considered a risky one.
As a result, many fishing vessels operating in Indonesian
waters are foreign ones chartered by Indonesian companies. The
situation has led to illegal fishing and exports.
At yesterday's ceremony, Sjarifudin installed Soetidjab as
inspector at the Ministry of Agriculture's inspectorate general;
Ade Jauhara Wirasasmita as acting inspector for animal husbandry;
A.H. Rahadian as acting inspector for food crops and
horticulture; F.X. Murdjijo as chief commissioner at state-owned
PT Usaha Mina; Dudung Abdul Adjid as commissioner at PT
Perkebunan Nusantara VIII; Hoesein Abubakar as commissioner at
Usaha Mina; Samsul Chorib as commissioner at Usaha Mina; and
Sudihartoyo as marketing director at PT Perkebunan Nusantara
XIII. (pwn)