Kadin: Govt Needs to Secure Fuel Supplies for Fishermen

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The maritime and fisheries department of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (Kadin) has said it will constantly monitor and evaluate the government's fuel distribution policies—in particular, the distribution policy of subsidized diesel fuel (marketed locally as Solar) for fishermen. 

"The new administration needs to prioritise and secure its reserves of subsidized Solar for fishermen within the next five years," said Yugi Prananto, the deputy chairman for Kadin's maritime and fisheries department, during a discussion on Indonesia's maritime commerce and fisheries in Jakarta on Monday. 

Yugi said the inconsistencies on the regulatory side of the issue, as well as the actual distribution on the ground, need to be addressed by the next government. 

"We want policymakers to re-evaluate the system, because this directly relates to the operations and livelihood of these fishermen," said Yugi. 

He hopes that the new administration can come up with a more consistent and transparent distribution policies and mechanism. 

"We need to take into account the regulatory side of things. Maybe the inconsistencies are caused not by the operational aspect of distribution, but rather obstructive policies," said Yugi. 

Yugi believes that a transparent monitoring mechanism needs to be put in place to help ensure and secure the availability of fuel for consumers. 

Previously, Kadin noted that there had been a 20 percent reduction in the quota for subsidized Solar, which means that only 720,000 kilolitres of Solar are available for distribution until the end of 2014—down from the initial quota of 900,000 kilolitres. 

"Sixty percent of a fisherman's operational budget is spent on fuel. We need to do everything in our power to ensure the security and continuity of their fuel supply," explained Yugi. 

ANTARA