|
The government has pledged to help revive the sea fishing
industry by providing more cash collateral this year to boost
fishermen's access to bank loans.
Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fishery Freddy Numberi said Monday the
ministry would disburse Rp 173 billion (about US$19.2 million), or
double last year's total, in cash-collateral credit to more than 5,000
traditional fishermen this year.
The scheme will be managed by state-owned lender Bank Rakyat Indonesia
(BRI).
"We've found that BRI's non-performing loans for the fishery are less
than 1 percent. This is positive. We will continue disbursing loans to
fishermen," Freddy said of the government's decision to use BRI.
Sulaiman Arief Arianto, BRI director for small and medium enterprises,
said credit released to the sea fishing industry was only 1.6 percent
of the bank's agriculture credit, which accounted for 40 percent of its
portfolio.
"The figure is still pretty low," he added.
Bank Indonesia data shows that loans to the agriculture sector
accounted for only 5 percent of national banking credit. Most of the
funds deposited in banks went to the industrial and trade sectors,
accounting for 23 percent and 20 percent respectively. (see table)
Arief said most fishermen were not accustomed to banking requirements
and few, if any, collateral companies were willing to invest in the
high-risk industry due to its dependence on nature.
"Most of them are not bankable but are actually quite feasible," he
said.
The bank itself is ready to extend loans of some Rp 200 billion to the
sea fishing industry this year.
With the new funds, the government expects to focus on boosting the
production of shrimp, tuna and seaweed.
Last year, Indonesia exported 169,581 tons of shrimp worth about $1
billion, an increase from 153,906 tons in 2005. It is now the largest
shrimp exporter to Japan and the second largest to the U.S.
The total production of seaweed in 2005 reached 910,636 tons and is
expected to climb to 1 million tons in 2006. Indonesia is the second
largest seaweed exporter in the world after the Philippines.
Meanwhile, about 30 percent of the tuna imported by Japan, which
consumes about 70 percent of the world's total tuna production, comes
from Indonesia.
"What a shame that the increase of revenue in the country's sea and
fishery sector did not bring a significant contribution to the welfare
of our fishermen," Freddy said.
|
