S Kalimantan proposes additional of 30 percent subsidized fuel for fishermen

Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The South Kalimantan Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office has proposed the Downstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Agency (BPH Migas) to increase the subsidized diesel fuel quota for fishermen's need.

“Only 10-20 percent of fishermen in South Kalimantan are accomodated with subsidized fuel, we are proposing a quota increase of at least 50 percent of all fishermen,” Head of South Kalimantan Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Office Rusdi Hartono said in Banjarbaru, Tuesday.

His side together with South Kalimantan DPRD Commission II have proposed it to the central BPH Migas, and are currently waiting for the results and the central decision.

“The number of fishermen is 36,510, while the available quota per year is around 117,672 kiloliters, which only accomodates 10-20 percent of fishermen,” he said.

Rusdi said that the quota needed to be increased by a minimum of 30-40 percent to 2-3 times from 117,672 kl to be able to meet the minimum needs of about 18,000 fishermen.

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According to him, the additional quota will at least able to meet the need of fishermen who should need help so they don't buy completely nonsubsidized fuel.

South Kalimantan has 12 fishermen's gas station (SPBN) which are spread across three districts, Kotabaru, Tanah Bumbu, and Tanah Laut.

Of the total 12 active SPBN, he said, Kotabaru is the area most in  need because there are about 15,917 fishermen here out of a total of 36,510 fishermen in South Kalimantan.

His side has also coordinated several times with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) to resolve the problems of the shortage of subsidized fuel for fishermen in South Kalimantan to be resolved immediately.

“Subsidized fuel is not distributed evenly, depending on the size of fishing vessel from 5 to 30 gross tonnage (GT), but the most require are fishermen with 5 GT boats,” he said.

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