The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry on Wednesday informed Commission IV of the House of Representatives (DPR) of its plan to use an additional budget of Rp663.23 billion (US$44 million) in 2023.
The budget will be used to push economic recovery programs in the marine and fisheries sector, it said.
According to a joint letter issued by the Finance Minister and the National Development Planning Minister, the budget ceiling for the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry in 2023 will be Rp6.76 trillion (US$452 million).
“The proposed plan for additional use of the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry budget in 2023, amounting to Rp663.23 billion, will be used to increase the allocation of government assistance to push for economic recovery,” secretary general of the ministry, Antam Novambar, said during a meeting with Commission IV here on Wednesday.
Moreover, the additional budget would be used to provide supporting facilities and infrastructure for increasing fishery and aquaculture production, he added.
The additional budget would also be used for the provision of a cold chain system to support food security, additional operational costs of resource supervisors, marine space management, human resources capacity building, strengthening quality testing facilities, and boosting internal control.
Furthermore, additional budgets have also been proposed to ensure the welfare of fishing communities, fish farmers, marketers, and other coastal communities.
“The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry is also committed to implementing government assistance programs in 2023, including development in eastern Indonesia in order to support the national fish barn,” Novambar added.
He explained that the government assistance program in 2023 would be worth Rp490 billion (US$32 million), an increase of 65.5 percent from the assistance provided in 2022, which stood at Rp296 billion (USD 19 million).
“If our proposal can be approved, then we are ready to sign our commitment for implementation in 2023,” he added.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Commission IV, Sudin, said that in the meeting, his administration would only listen to the ministry’s explanation. However, he also reminded it to ensure the quality of government assistance that would be distributed in 2023.
“Commission IV of the House of Representatives has asked the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry to ensure the quality and quality of all components of government assistance that will be distributed to the public, including the packaging of fishery products in 2023,” he added.
Source: Antara News