Minister Susi to Launch Assistance Cards for Fishermen
23 November 2014 13:18 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Marine and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said she had prepared two assistance card programs, the fuel card and gas conversion incentive for motor boat, to mitigate the impacts of fuel price on fishermen.
“This assistance is for a long run. Hopefully it will be realized soon,” Susi said in a press conference on Friday, November 21, 2014, at her office.
The fuel card, Susi said, was a subsidy account card granted to fishermen to be used when they purchase diesel fuel at packed dealers. However, the assistance would be given if they report their catches to the bank on a monthly basis. The report, Susi said, would be converted in Rupiah.
The Ministry’s secretary general Sjarief Widjaja revealed that the assistance was equal to 2,000 kiloliters. The Ministry had prepared 36,000 cards for fishermen in Java Island and they will be launched next week.
“The card distribution will be wider if the program becomes permanent,” Sjarief said.
Susi also prepared an incentive of fuel conversion to gas for fishermen, although the Joint Regulation of the Home Affairs Minister and the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry in 2011 does not include fishermen as people who have the right to use LPG for fuel. Susi said that she will speak to related institutions regarding the matter, without specifying when the incentive would be given. However, Susi is optimistic that fishermen would be able to convert from diesel fuel to gas.
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