Minister Wants Bank To Cut Interest Rates For Fishermen

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti wants banks to cut their interest rates for traditional fishermen to enable them to change their fishing seine nets.  

"I hope that banks would reduce their interest rates for fishermen at Java's Pantura northern coastal areas so that they can change their fishing equipment, opting for ones that  are safe for the environment," the minister said when opening a working meeting of the Maritime and Fisheries Ministry (KKP) here on Monday.

She observed that in order to support the distribution and marketing of fishermen's catch, the KKP has assigned state-owned firms PT Perikanan Indonesia (Perindo) and PT  Perikanan Nusantara (Perinus) to help fishermen.

The two companies have been tasked with increasing the volume and value of fishery product exports.

The KKP's technical meeting is held every year to evaluate various KKP programs in the maritime and fisheries sector.

Earlier, the KKP and the Financial Service Authority (OJK) expected that partner banks of the Coverage, Synergy and Guideline (Jaring) program would expand credits up to Rp9.2 trillion this year for developing the maritime and fisheries sector and improving the fishermen's welfare.

"Credit disbursement for the Jaring program this year will hopefully amount to Rp9.2 trillion, up by 24.2 percent from Rp6.69 trillion in 2015,"  OJK Commissioner Muliaman D. Hadad noted in a press statement issued in Jakarta on May 19.  

Initiated by the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (KKP) and OJK, the Jaring scheme is aimed at improving the welfare of fishermen and advancing the cause of small- and medium-scale enterprises doing business in the maritime and fisheries sector.

The OJK has identified 22 companies in the sector that had absorbed public funds through the capital market. Until May, the amount of collected funds through the capital market had reached Rp14.1 trillion. (WDY)