Exclusive economic zone

Exclusive economic zone

From Neraca

The media reported recently an interesting admission by Minister of Finance Bambang Sudibyo. He told the budget commission of the House of Representatives that the 2000 draft state budget does not include revenue from fishery activities in the Indonesian exclusive economic zone, and its revenue is budgeted at a relatively small Rp 500 million.

According to Bambang, state revenues from the fishery sector comprises three sources -- levies from fishery enterprises, levies from fishery yields and levies from the Indonesian exclusive economic zone.

So far, levies from the exclusive economic zone have given the largest contribution to the revenues of the fishery sector. But in the 2000 draft state budget, the levies from the exclusive economic zone have not been taken into account so they have been reduced to about Rp 500 million.

If the state budget ultimately approved by the House of Representatives does not include revenue from the exclusive economic zone, will the revenues be entered as nonbudgetary funds as is the case of reforestation funds? I think, referring to the finance minister's opinion, the levies of fishery activities can be entered into the state budget.

This is especially true since fishery and marine matters now have their own ministry led by Sarwono Kusumaatmadja. Does the noninclusion of the fishery revenues from the exclusive economic zone indicate our inability to safeguard and make use of the exclusive economic zone, a very potential area as a source for state revenues?

Sarwono once stated that revenues from marine resources and fisheries, if they are well managed, can be used to repay debts. Is it true?

Let us hope the potential of the exclusive economic zone will be a blessing for the nation.

SAFIRA

Bekasi, West Java