Govt. allocates Rp 173t to develop fisheries infrastructure

The government is preparing to allocate Rp 173 trillion (US$18.8 billion) to develop the fisheries infrastructure in the country’s eastern regions under the country’s fisheries industrialization development program.

“This is to fill the gap between fishery producers and the fishery product processing industry,” Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sharif Cicip Sutardjo said on Monday, as quoted by Antara news agency.

He then cited Nusa Tenggara and many areas in eastern Indonesia home to the bulk of the nation’s fishery producers, adding that the processing industries were mostly located in Sumatera and Java.

Sharif said that the government had already set up the National Fish Logistics System (SLIN) to fix the fishery product distribution problems that might occur later. (drs)