LOGISTICS SYSTEM NEEDS IMPROVEMENT TO REDUCE FISH IMPORTS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 10 (Antara) - Certain fishery units in the country still import fish as raw material for their production amid efforts to boost fish output at home and improve the welfare of local fishermen.          Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti admitted that there were fishery units which still rely on imports but the number of these industries is small. Different restaurants also still import salmon fish to serve their customers.          Fish imports have been going on from the past, Susi said. "Fish imports have been there from the past, but now it is more open to the public," Minister Susi told the Parliament during a hearing with Commission IV on agricultural affairs of the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta Wednesday (June 8).          Therefore, the government will improve the logistics in the fishery sector in an effort to reduce fish imports. The improvement of the logistics mechanism in the maritime and fisheries sector will reduce the import of the commodity in the future.          "If the logistics system is good, the import of fish will come down," Minister Susi said.

GOVERNMENT URGED TO LOWER BEEF PRICE

 by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 9 (Antara) - The prices of food commodities, particularly beef, in the market this week have been increasing as Muslims across the country began observing the fasting month of Ramadan.          President Joko Widodo had earlier given directives that commodity prices during the fasting month and its subsequent Eid al-Fitr, or Lebaran festivities, should not increase.          The president had made it clear that the price of beef should be maintained at Rp80 thousand per kilogram (kg).          However, the prices of food commodities, such as shallots and beef, remain high, while that of rice was successfully stabilized. Consumers believe that the price of beef has been rising steeply.          "The government has the responsibility to protect consumers from the skyrocketing prices of food commodities, particularly that of beef, which has now reached between Rp125 thousand and Rp130 thousand per kg. It has to stabilize the prices at a fair level and make it affordable to the consumers," Chairman of the Indonesian Consumers Institute Tulus Abadi noted in a press statement on Saturday (June 4).         The price of beef until this week still remained high in the market despite the government's plan to keep it under check. It seems that the plan has not been implemented optimally.

SEA TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES BEING PREPARED FOR LEBARAN TRAVELERS

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 8 (Antara) - Indonesia will once again see the exodus of the devout when a large number of people travel to be with their families for Ied Fitr post-fasting, or Lebaran, early next month.           Tens of millions of Lebaran revelers across the country will be home-bound, traveling by air, land or sea.          A sector that will witness the flow of a large number of travelers will be sea transportation. Although port operators predict the number of those traveling by sea to remain stable this year, the government will not take any risk and will make adequate arrangements lest it is found wanting.          Authorities are gearing up to prepare passenger terminals at seaports and to check the worthiness of ships that will transport Ied Fitr travelers, locally known as 'pemudik.'     Port operator company PT Pelindo III is preparing 13 passenger terminals at ports in the areas where it operates. It has predicted that the number of passengers passing through its 13 terminals will not see a major increase this year.

S&P RATING NOT TO AFFECT INVESTMENT IN INDONESIA

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 4 (Antara) - The international rating agency Standard and Poor's (S&P) has provided Indonesia with the BB+ rating, a level lower than 'Investment Grade', but the government is convinced it will not disturb investment interest in Indonesia.          Indonesia's economic conditions now are relatively better than those of many advanced countries after the global economic gloom. Moreover, two other international standard rating agencies, Fitch and Moody¿s, have awarded Indonesia with an investment grade level.         The conditions of Indonesia's debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio and its debt management are far better than those of other emerging nations, and even better than those of countries which have secured the Investment Grade level.         "Frankly speaking, we question the reasons of the S&P (to provide us with BB+ rating). We see that its reasons are the same as those in its previous rating. So, there is nothing new," Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said in Jakarta Thursday.         The S&P in its latest publication this month did not yet provide Indonesia with the "Investment Grade" level. The agency rated Indonesia's long-term state debentures with the BB+ level and short-term securities with the B level. Prospects in the long-term for Indonesia are positive.

SAIL KARIMATA EXPECTED TO CONTRIBUTE TO TOURISM TARGET

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 4 (Antara) - Organized from August to October this year at the Karimata Strait that links four provinces, 'Sail Karimata' is expected to contribute to the government's target of achieving 12 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2016.          The government hopes that Sail Karimata would have high economic value that could transform the maritime sector into a main contributor to the government's target of earning some US$4 billion of foreign exchange from the tourism sector by the year 2019.          Therefore, the government has so far held various sail Indonesia events as it is convinced that these events have the potential to contribute to the tourism sector.           After all, such events that have been categorized as marine tourism activities have so far contributed still only about 10 percent of the total US$1 billion worth of foreign exchange earned from the tourism sector.           Indonesia's earnings from the tourism sector are still small compared to that of Malaysia which earns about $8 billion from this sector.          "This is a challenge for us. If our projection of $4 billion in 2019 is realized, we will still stand outclassed by Malaysia," Tourism Minister Arief Yahya stated at the launch of the event in Jakarta Wednesday (June 1).

PRESIDENT INAUGURATES POWER PROJECTS IN VARIOUS REGIONS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 3 (Antara)  - President Joko Widodo visited Aceh, Bangka Belitung, West Kalimantan and Gorontalo this week to inaugurate power plants in seven provinces as part of the government's efforts to implement its 35 thousand megawatts electricity development program.         These power plants are in different provinces, namely Aceh, North Sumatra, Riau, Bangka Belitung, Lampung, West Kalimantan and Gorontalo with a combined capacity of 754 megawatts (MW).          The 754 MW electricity projects are part of the efforts to achieve 35 thousand MW power production target. The government is planning to develop and complete all these plants by 2019. If successful, it will enhance the nation's current electricity generation capacity from some 50 thousand MW to 85 thousand MW by the end of 2019.           President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said the new electricity plants will help overcome the problem of power shortage and outages in the country.           "One solution to overcome power shortages in districts and cities is to build PLTMG," Jokowi stated while officiating a 184-MW compressed natural gas-fired power plant (PLTMG), located in the premises of Perta Arun Gas company, in Lhokseumawe, Aceh, on Thursday (June 2).

MOROTAI GEARS UP TO BECOME WORLD-CLASS TOURISM DESTINATION

by Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, June 1 (Antara) - The Morotai Island in North Halmahera District, North Maluku Province, has all the natural beauty and cultural richness to become a prospective world-class tourist destination.          Along with the central government's "Wonderful Indonesia" tourism campaign to attract 12 million foreign tourists in 2016 and about 20 million by 2019, the Morotai local government adopted the same strategy to entice tourists by launching the "Wonderful Morotai Island 2016" campaign.          The "Wonderful Morotai" tourism brand is an interesting tourism promotional program as it combines enchanting cultural aspects with natural and man-made marine tourism attractions on the Morotoi Island where various festivals and activities are being held from March to December 2016.          "I am convinced that through the `Wonderful Morotai Island' program, Morotai will flourish and become one of the world-class tourist destinations that could attract foreign tourists. Morotai has its own uniqueness apart from being endowed with beautiful nature and a unique culture. Also, it is strategically located along the Asian and Australian shipping lanes," Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said while launching the "Wonderful Morotai Island 2016" event in Jakarta on Wednesday.