KKP Denies Issue of Fishing Business Permits Not Issued

Director General of Capture Fisheries KKP Lotharia Latif. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has confirmed that the issue that says that fishing business permits are not issued is a hoax.

Director General of Capture Fisheries KKP, Lotharia Latif, ensured that the licensing service process for capture fisheries, including the extension of the capture fisheries business permit in 2026, ran smoothly and without obstacles.

This is part of the government's commitment to provide business certainty and maintain the sustainable growth of the national capture fisheries sector.

He said, licensing services continue to be carried out optimally through an integrated, transparent and accountable licensing system.

The Directorate General of Fisheries also actively provides assistance and coordination with business actors to ensure that all permit extensions can be met in accordance with applicable regulations.

"We ensure that everything runs smoothly and without obstacles. The government is present to provide certainty for business actors, while ensuring that fisheries management remains in accordance with the principles of sustainability and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations," said Lotharia in an official statement, Friday, December 19.

"Currently, given the occurrence of disasters, it is indeed prioritized for licensing of disaster-affected areas in Sumatra," he continued.

As of December 17, a total of 5,151 fishing catch licensing documents have been processed, whether for new licensing, changes, or extensions.

This figure will continue to increase as the verification process and fulfillment of requirements by business actors. The Directorate General of Capture Fisheries ensures that all applications meet the provisions will be processed in a timely manner.

"Even at the end of this year, the number of permit verifiers we have increased four times from usual and work full time every day. Including on holidays, solely to ensure that the permit service process and permit extension can run optimally," he said.

Furthermore, Lotharia emphasized that the smooth licensing process is inseparable from the increasing compliance of business actors with legal provisions, including in fulfilling the obligation to pay Non-Tax State Revenues (PNBP).

Compliance of business actors with the obligation of PNBP shows a common commitment in supporting responsible fisheries governance and making a real contribution to state revenue.

"We reiterate that the PNBP is one of the state's instruments to ensure the distribution of benefits from the exploitation of resources in accordance with the mandate of Article 33 paragraph 3 of the 1945 Constitution," he explained.

"The results of the PNBP are returned to the community through development financing, including assistance to small-scale fishermen, even 80 percent of which is managed directly by the local government," he added.

The Directorate General of Fisheries and Capture continues to encourage business actors to comply with all applicable regulations, including the PNBP obligation, as part of efforts to realize sustainable, equitable and competitive capture fisheries management.