Coordinating Minister Luhut: The Indonesia Coral Reef Garden Program Has a Positive Impact on the Community Economy
PRESS CONFERENCE
No. SP-404/HUM/ROKOM/SET.MARVES/VII/2021
Marves – Jakarta, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, Luhut B. Pandjaitan said that the Indonesia Coral Reef Garden (ICRG) Program is one of the efforts to improve marine ecosystems through planting coral reef seedlings and education centers and a new economy through the development of eco-edutourism infrastructure. .
This program was initiated by the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and supported by the Ministry of Finance and the Governor of BI together with the IMF at its first launch, October 2018 in Nusa Dua Bali which coincided with the implementation of the 2018 IMF-WB Annual Meeting.
"The 2020 Coral Reef Restoration Intensive Work-Intensive Program, which is a response to the decline in community activities that have an impact on the economy due to COVID-19, especially the informal sector or MSMEs, has had a positive impact," said Coordinating Minister Luhut in a virtual coordination meeting, Tuesday (06-07). -2021).
Coordinating Minister Luhut explained that there have been a number of positive impacts resulting from the ICRG program since its implementation and ongoing until now. For example creating jobs for more than 11 thousand people; repair/restoration of coral reef ecosystems covering an area of 74.3 hectares, and creating new marine tourism attractions in the Nusa Dua, Pandawa, Serangan, Sanur, and Buleleng areas in the Province of Bali; as well as direct community involvement so that the value of the economic benefits of coastal community families is obtained through the absorption of wages which reaches Rp41 billion.
"The monitoring results in May 2021 at the ICRG 2018 and ICRG 2020 locations show an improvement in coral reef ecosystems and water quality and in line with this, the economic movement of coastal communities in Bali has begun. Some of the dead corals are replaced so that they maintain the growth of existing corals," he said.
In order to support the sustainable management of ICRG coral reefs, added Coordinating Minister Luhut, one of the proposals is the need for a management agency or BLUD that has sustainable funding from the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) program. The PES program itself is the result of a Sustainable Financing study with a pilot project in the waters of Nusa Dua. "For example, for the Nusa Dua location, the PES value for domestic tourists is IDR 25,000 / person per day, while foreign tourists are IDR 35,000 / person per day with a cashless or non-cash system," he said.
At this coordination meeting, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries also asked the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries to create a coral reef restoration program nationally and become the basis for the 2021 Coral Reef Restoration Intensive Work Program. coral in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Directorate General of PRL KKP, Hendra Yusran Siry said that his party strongly supports the ICRG Program initiated by the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries which is currently running. In order to follow up the directives of the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, his party will conduct an academic study and the suitability of the spatial layout as the location for the 2021 Coral Reef Restoration Intensive Work-Intensive National Education Program.
"So there is a suitability of the material and the placement of the ICRG in question," explained Hendra on the same occasion.
In addition, Hendra also requested and hoped for further assistance for the people involved in the program implemented by the government. Moreover, the positive impact on the economy has been felt by the community, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, so this must be a concern.
On the other hand, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno also stated that he strongly supports the ICRG program that is currently being implemented. Evidence of support can be in the form of tourism products or the organization of tourism.
"The existence of this program has supported the increase in tourism actors, namely diving tourism. We are very supportive and we will involve the younger generation for this environmental sustainability program, "said Menparekraf Sandi.
Communication Bureau
Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment
Source: https://maritim.go.id/menko-luhut-program-indonesia-coral-reef-garden-have/