Marine and Fisheries Potential Development is Necessary for Maluku`s Development

AMBON,LELEMUKU.COM - The Maluku archipelago is the largest province in Indonesia, where 92.4 percent of its area constitutes the sea, and so, the focus of its development should be oriented to the sea rather than land.

Malukus marine and fisheries potential is huge and varied, and has a high economic value. Hence, the government should make a breakthrough and implement concrete steps to change the paradigm of regional development, which should be oriented to the sea.

Speaking at a seminar on "Export Potential of the Golden Fishing Ground" in the provincial city of Ambon on Thursday, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Deputy Chairman for Banking and Finance Rosan Perkasa Roeslani stated that development in the province must be oriented to the sea.

Roeslani noted that Kadin had lent its support to Maluku province as the center for conducting maritime research and studies in the country.

"Taking into account Malukus huge maritime and fisheries potential with high economic value, we fully support the province as the center for conducting maritime research and studies in Indonesia," Roeslani remarked.

He noted that the seminar in Ambon, organized by Kadin and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, aimed to boost exports of small and medium entrepreneurs.

Therefore, Roeslani remarked that all parties should be motivated to come and conduct in-depth studies on all maritime issues in Maluku.

"Anyone, especially young people, interested in exploring issues related to the maritime sector can come to Maluku to study," he pointed out, adding that all studies did not necessarily have to be conducted in only Jakarta or other parts of the country.

Roeslani affirmed that he would also encourage businesses, including from foreign countries, to visit Maluku and study the provinces maritime issues.

He affirmed that Maluku offered a variety of opportunities to study maritime objects in terms of fisheries, aquaculture, coastal areas, marine parks, and a wealth of marine life, with high economic value in the global market.

He emphasized that Maluku is the center of fisheries and the nations fish barn, and therefore, the province should be placed at the forefront of maritime studies for special reasons.

The Kadin deputy chairman for banking and finance also voiced his support to the Maluku provincial government to gain recognition as the nations fish barn.

The government has declared Maluku as the national fish barn since the area has a huge fishery potential of 1.64 million tons per year to improve the prosperity of the province and the nation.

Maluku has 600 thousand square kilometers of sea, with extensive marine resources for the prosperity of the local people and to support economic growth.

Malukus fishery potential is concentrated in three Fishery Management Areas (WPP) --- the Banda Sea, Seram Sea, and Arafura Sea --- that are also referred by several countries and fishery entrepreneurs as the "golden fishing ground."

The fishery production from these three WPP in Maluku can reach 1.64 million tons per year, or around 26.3 percent of the nations fishery potential.

Data from Malukus Central Bureau of Statistics indicated that in September 2015, Malukus export realization reached US$11.04 million, a significant increase compared to that recorded in August 2015.

The total export value in Maluku from January to September 2015 reached US$31.25 million, which comprised US$3.75 million from the exports of fishery and shrimp commodity, US$26.47 million from mineral fuels, and US$1.03 million from other commodities.

China was Malukus leading export destination country, with exports amounting to US$16.54 million followed by the Republic of Korea at US$11.04 million.

Roeslani emphasized that Kadin will also help to boost Small Medium Businesses (UKM) in Maluku, especially for those who develop the local flagship potential but encounter difficulties in sourcing capital.

He stated that Kadin will assist the UKM through banks and other financial institutions.

With regard to several approaches to develop the local potentials, new entrepreneurs in Maluku can capitalize on the potential of small businesses currently facing funding problems.

"Through the Palapa Nusantara Berdikari capital institution, Kadin will select potential UKM in Maluku based on certain standards to obtain capital and mentoring to develop a business that has been initiated," he emphasized.

Maluku Governor Said Assagaff shed light on the presence of the integrated fishing firm PT Maritim Timur Jaya (MTJ) in Tual, Southeast Maluku District.

"MTJ is the largest firm in the fishing industry in Maluku province and is also the biggest contributor to the regional revenue," the Maluku governor stated during a visit to the fishing firm in Tual some time ago.

Assagaff noted that both the Maluku provincial and Tual city administrations will continue to encourage PT MTJ to increase its operations to help improve the local peoples welfare, particularly the fishermen.

"We fully support the operations of this company as it has contributed significantly to improving the fishermens welfare," the governor noted.

He pointed out that the presence of the fishing company, as part of the Artha Graha groups network, is the embryo to embody the vision of the government and the people to make Maluku province the nations fish barn.

He lauded the progress achieved and PT MTJs investment in the fisheries sector in the eastern part of Indonesia.

According to the governor, PT MTJ is the most complete and advanced fishing firm in the eastern regions of Indonesia. (antara)

President visits Maluku and Papua

JAKARTA, LELEMUKU.COM - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and First Lady Iriana left for Ambon, Maluku, here, Monday, to start a three-day working visit to the provinces of Maluku, West Papua, and North Maluku located in eastern Indonesia.

The president and his entourage departed from the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, eastern Jakarta, Monday, at around 11:30 a.m. local time by the Indonesia-I presidential aircraft.

Jokowi has reiterated several times that the national development program must focus on Indonesia as a whole and not merely Java.

"I have told all ministers that the development must begin from the border areas to the center. It is not Java-centric. It must be Indonesia-centric," the head of state emphasized.

President Jokowi is scheduled to inaugurate several infrastructure projects.

The president will officiate the Red and White Bridge in Ambon, Maluku, and Wasior Harbor in West Papua.

In Morotai, North Maluku, Jokowi will symbolically inaugurate new and renewable energy projects located in North Maluku, Maluku, Papua, and West Papua.

Symbolic inauguration of five seaports will be held in Tobelo Harbor in North Halmahera District, North Maluku.

The four other harbors are Galela, Tutukembong, Wonreli, and Teor Island.

The new seaports are expected to support the governments sea toll road program aimed at boosting the countrys inter-island connectivity and logistics supplies to remote areas.

"Sea toll is not a road. This means there are deep sea ports and harbors in Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua. Moreover, there are big ships operating every day, so (goods/commodity) prices in all islands will be the same. It is a sense of justice," Jokowi had stated in 2014.

President Jokowi and the First Lady will return to Jakarta on Wednesday, (April 6).

The Red and White Bridge, to be inaugurated by the president in Ambon on April 6, is the longest in eastern Indonesia and measures 1,140 meters in length. The bridge will reduce the travel time to and from Pattimura airport, Central Maluku District.  (antara)

Jokowi Meet 34 Villages Chief in Morotai

MOROTAI, LELEMUKU.COM - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) met on Wednesday 34 of 88 village chiefs in Morotai on his tour of North Maluku.

The president discussed rural fund management with the village chiefs telling them that the fund should be properly spent.

One of the village chiefs, Alimin Mansyur from the village of Wayabula, said he and his colleagues were given special message from the president.

"The president specially stressed the importance of spending the fund properly and would not tolerate even a small mistake in the use of the money," Alimin said.

The president promised to study request by the village chiefs to build basic infrastructure including roads, bridges, and settlement centers, he said.

The president also held meeting with military and police officers on duty in the small island.

From Morotai, the president and his entourage boarded a military helicopter leaving for Halmahera Utara where he would commission sea port projects.

The president was to commission five seaports in eastern Indonesia as part of his sea toll project .

Jokowi is to officially commission the seaports of Tobelo, Galela, Tutu Kembong, Wonreli, and Pulau Teor. The ceremony would be held at the port of Tobelo in the regency of Halmahera Utara.

Ports are a key to success in economic development in the island region especially for isolated and frontier islands, he said.

The availability of the seaports would facilitate transport of goods and people and to bring modernity to the backward region, he said.

Better distribution would reduce economic gap, and without ports, distribution would be difficult and there would be no way to know the potential of areas, he said.

The prices of consumers goods in many areas in eastern Indonesia are much higher because of inefficient distribution system, he said.

Therefore, the president repeated saying about the importance of sea toll project to facilitate transport between the eastern region and the more developed western part of the country.

He said regular sea transport and logistics have to be improved between Sabang in the west and Merauke.

After commissioning the ports, the president would hand over social aid in the sub-district of Galela.

The president and First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo would return to Morotai and later in the day the group would fly back to Jakarta with the presidential aircraft Indonesia-1 and is expected to arrive in the capital city at 18.00 local time.(antara)

Jokowi Inaugurate Five Ports in Maluku

TOBELO, LELEMUKU.COM - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo will inaugurate five ports in Maluku on Wednesday in a ceremony at Tobelo Port in North Halmahera regency.

The five ports are Tobelo Port, Galela Port, Tutu Kembong Port, Wonreli Port and Teor Island Port.

Together with Wasior Port in Papua, inaugurated on Tuesday, the five ports are part of the government's maritime highway program initiated to connect eastern Indonesia with large seaports in Java, including Tanjung Priok in Jakarta and Tanjung Perak in Surabaya.

Jokowi reiterated the importance of the maritime highway program, a marine logistics system to serve people and logistics from Sabang, the westernmost point of Indonesia in Aceh, to the easternmost point in Merauke, Papua.

During the inauguration of Wasior Port, Jokowi said the government had completed the construction of 27 seaports and four ferry ports since last year.  "The government plans to construct a further 68 ports across Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, Papua and Sulawesi," he said.

Before the inauguration of the ports, Jokowi visited the Daruba solar photovoltaic power plant in Juanga village, South Morotai.

The operation of the solar power plant with a capacity of 600 kilowatts cannot be optimized due to a broken system, therefore during the inauguration of several solar photovoltaic power plants and micro-hydro power plants, Jokowi stressed the importance of system maintenance.

"Indonesian people are reliable when it comes to building and creating, but they are unable to preserve," he said. (jakartapos)

Ternate Satpol PP Raid Business Premises License

TERNATE, LELEMUKU.COMt - Ternate's Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP) raids intensified in a number of businesses and shops are scattered in the city of Ternate, North Maluku to make sure it has permission.

"All businesses and shops which operates must have a permit. If it is found there is no permit will be sanctioned," said PP Kasatpol Ternate, Fandi Mahmud in Ternate on Sunday.

He said, in the raid, Satpol-PP Ternate city in cooperation with the military, Economics, Sintap, the Fire Department, the Department of Revenue (Revenue).

Raids 45 businesses and shops related to business interruption permission.

At least 50 personnel of Satpol-PP, six members of the military, economics, Sintap, Fire Department, Department of Revenue strip (Revenue) of Ternate city is involved in the raid.

According Fandi, in raids when caught businesses or shops that might be taxes or permits that have expired immediately given letters of reprimand, then given a one-week period immediately taken care of.

Therefore, if found to be not taken care of then, we will take decisive steps by sealing the store since become an authority Satpol-PP.

"So we immediately provide a letter of reprimand for most of the 45 stores not yet have a complete business license," said Fandi. (antara)

Seven Underage Sex Workers in Tanjung Batu Merah Under Police Custody

AMBON, LELEMUKU.COM - Results of routine operations conducted Maluku Police, Thursday (7/4) and then to fruition. Oversight conducted on the activities of the localization of Tanjung Batu Merah discovered, there are seven commercial sex workers (CSWs) who are still minors.

Each is AA (15), NHS (16), AR (16) SA (17), NKA (16) FU (16) and ANN (16). Seventh-PSK is secured because the alleged victim of human trafficking or human perdangangan.

As quoted from the People Maluku seven young girls are picked up directly from the localization by dozens of police from the Maluku Police brought to the Unit for Women and Children (PPA) General Directorate of Criminal Investigation.

Kasubbdit 4 General Directorate of Criminal Investigation Superintendent Ely E. Sugalray, confirmed that his company had secured seven underage girls working in brothels Tanjung Batumetah.

"Security is done during routine operation held Maluku Police held and led Kasubdit 4. So that is secured AA (15), NHS (16), NKA (16), AR (16), SA (17) FU (16) and ANN (16). But, they have taken Social Service Maluku, for they were returned to their areas in South Sulawesi. the cost of their repatriation borne Maluku provincial government, through the Department of Social Welfare, "said Sugalray, through the Head of Public Relations Superintendent Sulaiman Waliulu, told the press in his office yesterday.

Regarding the allegations of human trafficking, said Sulaiman Waliulu, still in development. However, while derived from the results of the examination, the victim brought in a year ago from South Sulawesi. They promised to serve in the cafe, but up in Ambon turned out they were ordered to serve a smooth operator.

"Four people financed by the guesthouse owner Dewy orchids and other Siti Aisa. So they asked to serve guests, but up here to serve the masher, with a tariff of Rp 300 to Rp 350 thousand," said Waliulu. (kilasmaluku)