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