VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia has cornered a 15-percent share of tuna, skipjack, and mackerel tuna production globally to emerge as the world's largest producer of the commodities, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has said.

The increase in Indonesia’s tuna production has been even higher than the world average, director of marketing at the Directorate General of Marine and Fishery Products Competitiveness, Erwin Dwiyana, said here on Tuesday.

"Indonesia saw an increase in production of 3.66 percent on average, higher than the world average increase of 3.42 percent," he informed.

The Philippines, as the second-largest producer, has a production share of 7.3 percent, followed by Vietnam at 6.6 percent, and Ecuador 6.1 percent. The largest tuna production in Indonesia is of skipjack tuna and yellowfin tuna.

However, Dwiyana said, even though it is the largest tuna producer, Indonesia has not been able to become the world's largest tuna exporter.

Based on the trade map data of the International Trade Center (ITC), Indonesia was ranked sixth in tuna exports with a market share of 5.33 percent in 2020.

The world's largest tuna exporter was Thailand, with a market share of 17.73 percent, followed by China (8.45 percent), Spain (8.20 percent), Ecuador (7.98 percent), and Taiwan (5.57 percent).

During the period from January to December 2021, at least 28.8 percent of Indonesian tuna, skipjack, and mackerel tuna exports went to the European Union, 24.7 percent to ASEAN countries, 17.9 percent to Japan, 8.7 percent to the United States, and 21.6 percent to other countries.

According to Dwiyana, the low market share of Indonesian tuna was due to its low competitiveness in terms of product, price, and service. (Antaranews)

The Ministry of Transportation has allowed airlines to adjust ticket prices, including by adding fuel surcharges, following an increase in oil and jet fuel prices.

"This provision (allowing airlines to revise ticket prices) was made after coordinating with relevant stakeholders such as airlines, aviation associations, aviation practitioners, YLKI (the Indonesian Consumers Foundation), and other related aviation experts," Transportation Ministry spokesperson Adita Irawati informed here on Tuesday.

She said the provision was put in place to maintain the sustainability of airline operations and ensure that connectivity between Indonesian regions is not disrupted.

This provision is stated in Ministerial Decree No. 68 of 2022 concerning Additional Costs for Economy Class Fares of Scheduled Domestic Commercial Air Transport Services, which came into force on April 18, 2022.

Irawati explained that the increase in global jet fuel prices has greatly affected the cost of flight operations.

According to her, if the price increases and affects flight operation costs by up to 10 percent or more, then the government can allow airlines to set additional costs, such as fuel surcharges.

"This provision has also been applied in other countries, one of which is the Philippines," she said.

However, the provision is non-binding, she added, meaning, airlines can choose to apply the additional costs in the form of fuel surcharges or not.

The provision will be evaluated every three months, or upon significant changes in flight operation costs, she explained.

"Supervision will be carried out by the Ministry of Transportation through the Directorate General of Air Transportation, and will be evaluated in accordance with the dynamics of world prices," she said.

Jet aircraft can now apply a maximum of 10 percent of the upper tariff limit, according to each air transport enterprise. Meanwhile, propeller aircraft can apply a maximum of 20 percent of the tariff limit.  (Antaranews)

The ratification of the Sexual Violence Bill is expected to become a progressive step toward preventing the increasing number of child marriages in Indonesia.

Deputy for children's rights fulfillment at the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry, Agustina Erni, made the remark in a press release issued on Tuesday.

"Article 10 stipulates provisions regarding criminal snares for perpetrators of forced marriage, who can be sentenced to a maximum imprisonment of 9 years and or (face) a maximum fine of Rp200 million. Besides imprisonment or fine, Article 11 also stipulates the revocation of child custody," Erni noted.

Child marriage is one of the national issues that require attention and synergy from multi-sectoral parties, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the pandemic, there has been an increase in applications for marriage dispensations in several regions in Indonesia, she noted.

There are several things that can lead to child marriage, namely avoiding adultery, imperfect understanding of comprehensive reproductive health, as well as economic factors.

Based on data from the Religious Courts Agency (Badilag), there were 25,280 cases of marriage dispensation in 2019.

"In 2020, the figure increased to 65,301, while in 2021 there were 63,350 cases. Based on the data we received, the highest marriage dispensation was in the Java area, namely the Surabaya City Religious Court, Semarang City Religious Court, and Bandung City Religious Court," Erni informed.

She said that the increase was driven by an increase in the age limit for marriage from 16 to 19 years, as regulated in Law Number 16 of 2019 concerning Amendments to Law Number 1 of 1974 concerning Marriage.

"We must take child marriage seriously because, based on data from Badilag, in general, child marriage only lasts for one to two years. If there are around 65 thousand couples asking for marriage dispensation and they have one or two children, it could reach 130 thousand children with improper development," she added.

Erni said child marriage has several negative impacts, such as the risk of maternal death due to giving birth at a young age, stunting, and increased poverty rates.

"This condition will definitely affect the achievement of targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), National Medium-Term Development Program (RPJMN), and the National Strategy for Reducing Child Marriage," she added. (Antaranews)

Indonesia’s trade balance registered a surplus of US$4.53 billion in March 2022, with exports valued at US$26.50 billion and imports pegged at US$21.97 billion, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) reported.

"From our records, the trade balance has experienced a surplus for 23 consecutive months," BPS head Margo Yuwono noted during a press conference in Jakarta on Monday.

The non-oil and gas commodities that contributed to the largest surplus were mineral fuels, vegetable fats and oils, as well as iron and steel, he informed.

"All three are non-oil and gas commodities that contributed to the surplus in March 2022," Yuwono said.

Trade with three countries contributed to the biggest surplus—the United States, India, and the Philippines.

With the US, Indonesia's trade surplus reached US$2 billion, with animal fats and oils, vegetable oils, and footwear contributing to the surplus.

Next, Indonesia's trade with India also experienced a surplus of US$1.2 billion, with mineral fuels animal fats and oils being the largest contributors to the surplus.

In trade with the Philippines, Indonesia recorded a surplus of US$ 916.9 million, with mineral fuels as well as vehicles and their parts the main commodities that contributed to the surplus.

Meanwhile, Indonesia registered a trade deficit with several countries, namely Thailand, Australia, and Argentina.

With Thailand, Indonesia experienced a deficit of US$565.6 million, with sugar and confectionery and machinery, mechanical equipment, and their parts the main commodities that contributed to the deficit.

In addition, Indonesia's trade with Australia also saw a deficit of US$515 million, with the main commodities contributing to the deficit being mineral fuels and cereals.

Indonesia’s trade with Argentina also experienced a deficit of US$261.6 million, with cereal commodities contributing to the deficit.

Still, Indonesia's trade balance in the January–March 2022 period experienced a surplus of US$9.33 billion. The figure was higher compared to the same period in 2021, when the country recorded a surplus of US$5.52 billion.

"This surplus figure is quite high; hopefully, this surplus will continue to increase and have an impact on economic recovery in Indonesia," Yuwono said. (antaranews)