Free Verification Cost

Free Verification Cost

JAKARTA – Responding marked-down fishing vessels in local areas, the government will revoke vessel verification cost in those areas.

The vessel data manipulation is conducted to prevent permit in central government. Maritime and Fishery (KP) Minister, Susi Pudjiastuti, said this cost will be paid by KP Ministry and Transportation Ministry.

“Some demands were delivered to not impose fee for re-verification. Therefore, the fee will be paid by KP Ministry and Transportation Ministry. Vessel size verification will be free,” he said during press conference with local government and water police on Monday (2/2).

She added so far, vessel data manipulation practice is conducted by marking down vessel capacity in the document. Usually, the vessels with over 30-GT capacity mark down their capacity to prevent from permit process in central government and from paying non-tax state revenue (PNBP).

Moreover, Susi said these vessels also manipulate its data so they can use harmful fishing tools like cantrang net. So far, several regions still allow the use of harmful fishing tools.

She exemplified in Belawan, 300 vessels conduct mark-down. The manipulated capacity can reach 80,000 gross tonnages (GT).

“The difference is almost 80,000 GT and if it times IDR 1 million, the money is very great not to mention in Tegal, Pati, Juana which will also give significant PNBP amount,” she said.

Prior to that, KP Ministry Secretary General, Sjarief Widjaja, used to say with this verification, this year’s PNBP is targeted for IDR 1.4 trillion. Meanwhile, last year’s PNBP was IDR 270 billion.

“Many formulas will be used to achieve this target such as mark-down eradication, cheap prices, and other formulas,” she said.

Central Java KP Department Head, Lalu M. Syafriadi, said in his area, mark-down practice often occurs. According to him, currently, 2,000 vessels with 10 to 30-GT capacity are recorded in his area.

“Not all of them are marked down but I cannot reveal the number since I have to prove it first.” (Bisnis Indonesia)