TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A number of public policy regulatory bodies have declared their preparedness to monitor the controversial policy which allows the export of lobster seeds approved by the Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Ministry.

Ombudsman Indonesia commissioner Alamsyah Saragih announced that the agency will look into a number of aspects regarding the export policy.

“Apart from the suspected maladministration, we need to look into the economic constitution,” said Alamsyah on Monday, July 6.

He argues that the Indonesian government must prepare a number of reserved budgets for the country’s natural ocean commodity such as lobsters. Alamsyah said that such a thing is mentioned by the country’s constitution.

The Ombudsman commissioner said that they have held an informal discussion with expert staff of the Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Ministry regarding the budget reserves.

“Other countries form special agencies to reserve the budgets, it also involves the State-Owned Enterprises, that is what we are trying to attempt,” said Alamsyah.

Apart from Ombudsman, another regulatory body that has declared readiness to monitor the lobster seeds policy is the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU). Its Chairperson, Chandra Setiawan, said that ideally, trading export commodities must be transparent without any room for discrimination against certain groups of society.

Read also: Govt Grants Lobster Seed Export; IPB Expert Argues Against It

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA