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Tourists take photos of an iconic pair of trees near the Bridal Bridge on Sakura Beach, Untung Jawa Island, Kepulauan Seribu district on November 9, 2021. (ANTARA/Abdu Faisal/uyu) - 

The National Economic Recovery's (PEN's) labor- intensive program would be conducted in Jakarta's Kepulauan Seribu District in 2022 by focusing on coral reef transplantation, an official from the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment has said.

"All people in the district who have been economically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic can work in the Indonesia Coral Reef Garden (ICRG) PEN Program," Deputy for Coordination of Maritime Resources at the ministry Andreas A Hutahaean informed on Friday.

All residents will have the same opportunity to participate in the program, he emphasized.

"They can be tourism actors, fishermen, or housewives. We target the program to absorb around 3,500-5,000 workers," he said.

Currently, the ICRG PEN program in the district is still being prepared as it will be conducted next year, he added.

"We are also conducting a survey which ends in mid-December. Later, we will hold a meeting with related parties and take decisions regarding the implementation of the program," the deputy said.

Meanwhile, the deputy head of Kepulauan Seribu district, Muhammad Fadjar Churniawan, said the district welcomed the program.

"It is extraordinary," he remarked.

He said he will encourage residents who know about coral reef transplantation to get involved in the program. Thus, the coral reef will get good care and supervision, he opined.

"If the coral reef grows well, it will have an impact on the tourism sector and improve the community’s economy,” he added.

Earlier, during a meeting, the coordinating ministry’s deputy and the deputy regent and officials of the Maritime and Fishery Food Security Office (KPKP) of Pramuka Island, Kepulauan Seribu district, agreed to follow up the labor-intensive ICRG PEN program.

The district is one of the nine target locations of the implementation of the ICRG PEN Program//ANT