Medan Mayor Bobby Nasution Makes It Easy For Fishermen In Belawan To Get Subsidized Fuel

Medan Mayor Bobby Nasution (center) at a meeting with fishermen from the Indonesian Traditional Fishermen Association (KNTI) in Belawan, Wednesday (23/2/2022). (ANTARA/HO-Diskominfo Medan City)

MEDAN - The Mayor of Medan, North Sumatra, Bobby Nasution, has made it easier for fishermen in the Belawan area who have had difficulty getting subsidized fuel oil (BBM) to go to sea.

"There are complaints from residents who have difficulty getting a ship registration certificate (STDK) from the Distankan (Agriculture and Fisheries Service) to buy subsidized diesel," Bobby said in Medan, quoted by Antara, Thursday, February 24.

Bobby Nasution explained that the process of obtaining STDK for ships under five gross tons (GT) took a long time, because they had to visit the Medan City Distantan Office on Jalan Selambo, Medan Amplas.

To note, the distance traveled by using land transportation from Bagan Deli Village in Medan Belawan District is about 30 kilometers to the Medan City Distankan Office.

In fact, continued Bobby Nasution, the existence of STDK is very important for fishermen in the North Medan area to get subsidized diesel fuel for Rp. 5,150 per liter.

This is stated in the regulation of the downstream oil and gas regulatory agency No. 17/2019 concerning Issuance of Recommendation Letters for Regional Apparatuses for the Purchase of Certain Types of Fuel Oil.

"As a solution, we asked Mr. Dodi, the Head of the Technical Service Unit for the Distantan at TPI, this fishing village to have an office in Bagan Deli. And it has been agreed to start tomorrow," said Bobby Nasution.

Meanwhile, Head of the Technical Service Unit of the Medan City Distantan at TPI Kanpung Bangan Deli, Dodi admitted that the government provided subsidized fuel only for ships and not fishermen.

To get the subsidized fuel, he explained, fishing boats must have a free STDK with a short processing time, but fishermen feel far away from managing it.

"It's too far away, fishermen have difficulty managing it. I'm at the UPT Kampung Nelayan Indah myself. But to make things easier, I will start working here tomorrow (Kampung Bagan Deli)," said Dodi.