Fishermen demand Megawatirevoke forthcoming taxes

Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purwokerto

Thousands of fishermen in Central Java are slated to meet President Megawati Soekarnoputri later this week to demand her intervention in revoking two separate fishing taxes, which are scheduled to be introduced shortly by the government.

They protested the introduction of two taxes, called the fishing vessel tax (PPP) and the fishing income tax (PHP).

The taxes are to be imposed on fishermen under a government decree issued by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, which is in addition to the five percent levy on sales that they are obliged to pay.

Under the new decree, fishermen must pay PHP tax amounting to 2.5 percent of their fishing income every time they return to port.

Meanwhile, PPP tax is collected every year and its amount is adjusted to the weight of a fishing vessel. As an example, a 30- ton boat is charged Rp 3 million tax.

The fishermen said they were preparing to leave for Jakarta later this week to meet Megawati to urge her to scrap the decree.

"Currently, we are seeking ways to afford the trip to Jakarta. Hopefully, we can depart to Jakarta at least on Saturday," Tampari, a 40-year-old fisherman, who was among the protesters, told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

"We want Ibu President to revoke the new taxes because they will cause us a great deal of hardship," he said.

Tampari further argued that fishermen are already charged five percent of their sale earnings at fish auctions.

The owners of fishing boats and their crew members have expressed support for the fishermen's plan to meet Megawati.

Last Thursday, at least 2,000 fishermen, including Tampari -- from Pekalongan, Tegal, Brebes, Pemalang, Batang, Pati and Semarang -- staged a demonstration at Tegal harbor to push their demand for the revocation of the two taxes.

The protest was held while senior officials from the maritime and fisheries ministry were visiting the harbor. However, they responded coolly to the fishermen's demands.

Some posters carried by the protesters read: "Fishermen are not a cash cow. Just because they (the government) are in power, that doesn't mean they should impose taxes arbitrarily. Here, fishermen are in serious difficulties".

Heriyanto Marwoto, secretary of the fishery directorate general, told protesters that he could not decide on the fishermen's demand that the taxes be scrapped.

"We come here not to give a decision on your demand. We can only accommodate the aspirations of fishermen and ship owners. We will deliver your aspirations to the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries," he said.

Having heard the response from Heriyanto, the fishermen admitted that they were dissatisfied with his promise.

"I, and thousands of my colleagues here, are dissatisfied with your explanations. Don't be surprised if we all head to Jakarta to meet the President," Ardan, a representative of the protesting fishermen from Pekalongan, told Heriyanto during the demonstration.

He complained that to pay Rp 3 million in PPP tax for their boats, it would take an impossible amount of time for fishermen to earn such money, adding that most fishermen in Pekalongan worked on vessels weighing three tons.