The Ganjar-Mahfud Blue Economy Program Claims To Free Fishermen From Debt

Presidential Candidate Ganjar Pranowo And Vice Presidential Candidate Mahfud MD (Diah/VOI)

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the National Winning Team (TPN) Chico Hakim stated that the blue economy programs Ganjar Pranowo and Mahfud MD can free fishermen from debt snares.

"The spirit of developing the blue economy is also to raise the dignity of the lives of fishermen," he said in a written statement in Jakarta, Wednesday, December 27.

Concisely, he continued, the blue economy is to maximize the contribution of the marine sector to economic growth while still paying attention to environmental sustainability.

The program, he said, was carried out in a number of ways, for example boosting the production of aquaculture, building a fishery processing industry, equalizing fisheries centers, and improving regulations.

In addition, Ganjar-Mahfud will also provide a variety of incentives and stimulus, including regular assistance and training. Then, the provision of subsidized fishing gear or diesel assistance, as well as bad credit bleaching of fishermen.

Chico is of the view that assistance for fishermen can be carried out if data collection is fixed first. That way, the aid will be more targeted.

"The ease in collecting sufficient data with ID cards so that assistance and others can be obtained on target. If the welfare of fishermen is guaranteed, God willing, there is no need to owe," he said.

He also revealed that Ganjar-Mahfud will build supporting infrastructure in the sea, such as floating markets and floating hospitals. The goal is to make it easier for fishermen to move for a long time.

"So that it can increase the number of catch results and have a direct effect on income," he said.

Ganjar promised to write off the debts of fishermen when speaking at the Food & Agriculture Summit III at the IPB International Convention Center Bogor, West Java, last Tuesday. At that time, Ganjar said that around 8.25 percent of total bad loans in Indonesia came from the fisheries sector.

"The amount is not much, around Rp. 186 billion. So it is very possible, we will remove the bad fishermen's credit. After that (the debt is deleted), we will foster them and assist them," said Ganjar.

Previously, the General Election Commission (KPU) of the Republic of Indonesia on Monday, November 13, 2023, determined that three pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates would participate in the 2024 Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections (Pilpres).

The results of the draw and determination of the number of participants for the 2024 presidential election on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, the pair Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar number 1, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka number 2, and Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud Md. serial number 3.