Even though the government pays special attention to fishermen, fishermen’s lives will still be pitiful. It can be seen from 2015 State Budget arrangement which does not prioritize fisherman empowerment.
In 2015 State Budget, 65.2 percent Maritime and Fishery (KP) budget is for infrastructure and purchasing goods and services. Meanwhile, fisherman empowerment does not become priority,” said People’s Coalition for Fishery Justice (KIARA) Secretary General, Abdul Halim, in Jakarta yesterday.
According to him, the government and House have ratified Law No. 27/2014 about 2015 State Budget in October 14th 2014. The State Budget for KP Ministry in 2015 will increase than in 2014 from IDR 5,784.7 trillion to IDR 6,638.7 trillion.
Abdul Halim explained in 2015 KP Ministry’s budget and 2015 State Budget financial note, the budget allocated for local people and government in 34 provinces is only 34.8 percent from IDR 6.7 billion. From the percentage, 29.6 percent is allocated to develop infrastructure as well as goods and services procurement. “Meanwhile, the effort for people empowerment is conducted by distributing cash budget of 5.2 percent for the business groups of salt, sea weed, as well as captured and cultivated fishery,” he said.
Abdul Halim asserted fishery production hike still becomes the government’s priority. The challenge is that so far, production hike does not give welfare to fishermen. It is worsened by low fishery product competitiveness from fisherman villages.
Maritime conservation area also becomes budget implementation target. Consequently, fishing area for fishermen lowers while sailing cost and fish price is imbalance. In other words, the budget by President Jokowi has not targeted the effort of protection and empowerment for fishermen’s welfare,” he said.
Moreover, said Abdul Halim, the government is also involved in maritime and coastal ecosystem damage through land reclamation in some areas. (Rakyat Merdeka)
