REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Susi Pudjiastuti said here on Tuesday that she wished the fishing industry in the country would not be controlled by foreign parties.

"I wish the catch fish industry is free from foreign parties," she said during a meeting with Commission IV, which oversees the fisheries and marine resources sector, of the House of Representatives.

She added that the national maritime industry should be controlled by Indonesia, which should revive it, including shipping activities.

If foreign businesses are permitted to invest in the fishing industry, they alone will benefit from it, which will affect the livelihood of fishermen and lead to the collapse of 15 Indonesian fish exporters.

According to Minister Pudjiastuti, including the fishing industry in the negative investment list will help the national sector.

"Use this opportunity to revive the domestic industry as well as the processing industry," she remarked.

Pudjiastuti further noted that it was strange that the regulation on foreign investment in the sector was so open whereas the cold storage sector was allocated solely for domestic parties. The latter should have been open to foreign investment as Indonesia still needs foreign technology.

Moreover, the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) and the Kansai Economic Federation (Kenkeiren) agreed to facilitate the development of Japanese investment in Indonesia in the shipping and components industry.

In a press statement received here on Wednesday (May 27), the agreement was made when Chairman of the BKPM Franky Sibarani met with the Kenkeiren delegation led by Masayuki Matsushita, the vice chairman and chairman of the International Committee of Kenkeiren.

"The Kansai Economic Federation is ready to facilitate a meeting between the BKPM and electronic and shipping industries in the Kansai region. They are also ready to bring in shipping and electronic industries from Kansai for an investment mission to Indonesia," Sibarani affirmed.

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