Jakarta, Aug 21 (Antara) - As government partners, ship operators in the Indonesian National Shipowners Association (INSA) are expected to boost tourism development and help achieve the government's goal of turning the country into a global maritime axis.
INSA, which held its 16th General Meeting (RUA INSA) on August 20 and 21, is expected to play an important role as the government's strategic partner in the maritime, sea communications and national shipping business sectors.
"INSA must utilize professionally the full support offered by the Transportation Minister," Jay Singgih, vice president of Bumi Laut Group of INSA, said during the meeting on Thursday.
He was referring to the Transportation Minister calling on ship owners to help the government develop marine tourism in Indonesia.
The meeting, which was chaired by Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan on Thursday, was based on the theme: "INSA as the Belt of the Archipelago toward World's Maritime Axis."
The minister had suggested that INSA should help in the country's marine tourism development by operating cruise ships.
Minister Jonan also urged national ship owners to provide inputs to the government regarding policies that could help advance the country's economy and national shipping business.
"So far, INSA has only operated cargo ships. I hope that INSA will also consider operating cruise ships," the minister said at the meeting on Thursday.
Jonan added that the government would seriously encourage ship owners to operate cruise ships because Indonesia had considerable marine potential that could be developed, particularly in the eastern part of the country.
"We leave it to INSA whether it is willing to do that or not. I can only make a suggestion because the eastern part of Indonesia has huge coastal tourism potential," he stated.
He stated that his ministry would provide permits for ship owners willing to operate cruise ships to develop marine tourism in the country.
The minister also expressed the hope that INSA would become the government's partner in transportation development, including those not operating as per cabotage principles.
"For example, because the number of Indonesian ships is limited, operators can use ships that do not fly Indonesian flags. Following the cabotage principles is not always a must, let alone if we do not have ships of that kind. What is important is that it should not harm the interests of Indonesia," the minister stressed.
"INSA as a strategic partner of the government in the fields of maritime, sea transportation and national shipping business should be able to provide proposals to the government on polices that could advance national shipping lines and boost the country's economic activities," Minister Jonan was quoted by the Suara Pembaruan online portal sp.beritasatu.com on Friday.
Jonan also hoped that INSA members would consider quality and safety as their top priorities while carrying out business so that the Indonesian shipping business was rated as a world class industry that would contribute greatly to the development of the national economy.
INSA's Singgih revealed that during the general meeting, members had discussed programs that should be implemented to achieve these goals, which are based on the Indonesian national shipping roadmap designed to make President Joko Widodo's program in the maritime sector a success.
The President's programs in the maritime sector include implementing a sea toll scheme and a program to transform Indonesia into a global maritime hub.
Referring to Minister Jonan's suggestion, INSA Chairman Carmelita Hartoto said she would consider the government's suggestion, because the shipping business was still experiencing difficulty due to an unfavorable global economic gloom.
She added that the cruise ships business could be developed if it was supported with adequate infrastructure and other tourism facilities, such as hotels that could attract visitors.
"Hotel development should also be carried out there (in the eastern region). If the cruise ships are convenient they could serve as hotels, but if they are not, good hotels must be built at the destination points," she added.
Hartoto also pointed out problems being faced by national shipping businesses in their efforts to advance the country's shipping industry.
One of the constraints was the high fuel prices the shipping industry was paying, owing to the steep government taxes imposed on it.
She pointed out that there were two kinds of taxes being imposed on fuel for the shipping industry that had raised them considerably: a 10 percent value added tax and a 5 to 7 percent motor vehicle tax.
This policy was also not in keeping with the spirit of the government of transforming Indonesia into a maritime country with lower national logistics costs, Hartoto asserted.
"Therefore, these taxes should have been removed," Hartoto was quoted as saying by Kompas.com on Thursday. ***1***(T.A014/INE/B003)EDITED BY INE
(T.A014/A/BESSR/A/Bustanuddin) 21-08-2015 17:17:2 |
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