More govt agencies get duty-free status

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government has exempted 11 agencies under the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries from import duties and excise taxes.

The head of the Legal and Public Relations Bureau at the Ministry of Finance, Maurin Sitorus, said the exemptions were aimed at assisting research and development programs within the agencies.

According to a statement sent to The Jakarta Post, the agencies granted the duty-free facility include the Maritime and Fisheries Research Agency, Sea Fishery Products Research Agency, Brackish Water Fishery Products Research Agency, Freshwater Fishery Products Research Agency, Center of Ocean and Non- Biodiversity Resources, and the Center of Fishery Technology Research.

The granting of the facility to the 11 agencies also revokes a previous policy granting the same facility to four agencies in the ministry, including the Coastal Development Research Agency and the Center of Fishery Research and Development.

Maurin said the policy was taken due to recent organizational and work changes within the ministry, which resulted in the merging of the four agencies into the 11 other agencies.

The Ministry of Finance granted a similar facility to 69 agencies and organizations working in the field of research and science development, including the Livestock Research Agency, observatories, the Indonesian Cardiology Foundation and zoos.