VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Feb. 18 -  The Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment expects state revenues from Indonesian sailors employed abroad to reach Rp151.2 trillion a year.

The figure is based on the average monthly salaries of 1.2 million Indonesian sailors serving on foreign ships and earning US$750 (Rp10.5 million) for a period of 12 months, deputy for maritime and energy sovereignty coordination at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Basilio D. Araujo, said during an online press conference here on Wednesday.

"In general, our sailors work for commercial ships where they earn good salaries of above US$500, US$3,000, up to US$5,000. If the average monthly salary of sailors working for commercial ships and fishing ships is US$750, then the contributions from our 1.2 million maritime workers or sailors for 12 months will be an estimated Rp150 trillion," he said.

Indonesia is a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council. It is the world's third largest supplier of sailors next to China and the Philippines.

In addition, Indonesia is the world's fourth largest supplier of officers. In terms of crew (other than skippers and officers), Indonesia is ranked third in the world.

In the fishery sector, Indonesia is listed as the world's largest supplier of fishery workers, including those employed at high seas and those employed in other countries as resident sailors, Araujo said.

"With the potential, I think our country has no reason not to pay special attention to our sailors working abroad," he remarked.  (Antaranews)