ER
THE Indonesia’s government fully supports the Coral Reef Restoration Intensive National Economic Recovery or Pemulihan Ekonomi Nasional (PEN) program or the so-called Indonesia Coral Reef Garden (ICRG) 2021, as one of the government’s efforts to restore the community’s economy, which has been severely contracted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno, we are of course very supportive in terms of tourism products and organizing events. Because we noted that there was a significant increase in tourist interest in diving tourism, and we have compiled safety and environmental sustainability guidelines,” he said.
He explained that the ICRG program was first launched in 2018 and last year received PEN funding, initiated by the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and received support from various relevant ministries/agencies.
The coral reef ecosystem restoration activity in 2021 will target three locations in priority destinations, namely Mandalika, Labuan Bajo and Likupang as well as six marine tourism sites, namely the Thousand Islands, DKI Jakarta, Spermonde Islands, South Sulawesi, Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi, Tanjung Kelayang, Bangka-Belitung, Weh Island, Sabang, and Raja Ampat, West Papua. This program is projected to absorb more than 100 thousand workers.
“We will later involve young generations who have a very high interest in environmental sustainability programs. Also, we will immediately coordinate with the Bali Provincial Government, KKP regarding this ICRG program, because it helps a lot of those who have lost their jobs in the tourism and creative economy sectors,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, explained that for the sustainable management of ICRG coral reefs, a management institution that has sustainable funding for the payment for ecosystem services program is needed. This PES program is a sustainable financing study with a pilot project in Nusa Dua waters.
“For example, for the Nusa Dua location, the PES value for domestic tourists is 25 thousand people per day while foreign tourists are 35 thousand people per day,” he said. “And because this has a lot of tourism potential, I ask that Minister Sandiaga really be involved in this supervision,” he continued.
Likewise, the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral TNI, Yudo Margono said that our party will allocate x-KRI ships to be used as coral reefs and at the same time as artificial reefs or wreck dives in Nusa Dua, Bali and the Thousand Islands.
Then, the Attorney General, Burhanuddin, said that in the implementation of the ICRG program, four things must be fulfilled. Namely the principle of good faith and the absence of malicious intent in the implementation of activities, the interests of the community are fulfilled or served, not enjoying and or benefiting oneself, and there is no loss to the state.
“I assure my fellow implementers that they will not hesitate and will not deal with the law if they ensure that these four things are fulfilled,” he concluded. [traveltext.id]
