REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Rizal Ramli should focus on developing infrastructure in the eastern Indonesian region, Founder and Director of Archipelago Solidarity Foundation Engelina Pattiasina said.
"In accordance with the president's commitment to advance the maritime sector, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Rizal Ramli should focus on the eastern Indonesian region, particularly Maluku, Papua, and NTT," Pattiasina stated here on Thursday.
She believes that the minister can facilitate coordination among the fields of maritime affairs, transportation, energy and mineral resources, forestry, and tourism.
According to Pattiasina, infrastructure and ports in Maluku, NTT and Papua should be built and developed to create new economic zones.
"Of the 25 oil and gas blocks in Maluku, 15 are managed by foreign investors. They should improve the welfare of the people in the region," she pointed out.
Moreover, a number of Maluku's figures urged the government to grant special maritime autonomy with management authority to the province because more than 90 percent Maluku's territory comprises the ocean. The waters of Maluku contain enormous wealth in the form of both oil and fish.
"However, Maluku continues to be the fourth poorest Indonesian province because the budget provided is not based on its population and area. This is very unfair," she remarked.
Pattiasina continues to evoke the spirit of progress for Maluku. She highlighted that poverty in NTT, Maluku and Papua should be erased by providing maritime management authority.
"The appointment of Rizal Ramli is appropriate because his experience and capacity has been tested," she affirmed.
However, Ramli should understand the problems in the maritime field comprehensively and take into account other issues in the transportation, energy and mineral resources, forestry, and tourism sectors.
"The minister of tourism should be reminded by Minister Ramli to promote (the region's) tourism potential and to manage it for the sake of the nation and its people," Pattiasina emphasized.
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