For Maritime Minister Susi, Work Starts Now

Jakarta Globe, Kennial Caroline Laia, Oct 28, 2014

Marine and Fishery Affairs Minister Susi
Pudjiastuti. (Antara Photo/Prasetyo Utomo)

Jakarta. Indonesia’s new Marine and Fishery Affairs Minister Susi Pudjiastuti announced she plans to issue both short- and long-term programs that will improve the welfare of the nation’s fishermen.

The ministry’s first move, she added, is to identify both current and potential problems plaguing Indonesia’s maritime sector, before mapping out targets for the next five years.

“I am neither an expert or an academic [on the matter]; I just want to work fast and show good results,” Susi told reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday.

“For a long-term program, I will focus on mapping issues related to illegal fishing, aquaculture and marketing. I will also look into matters surrounding tariff barriers and our maritime products,” Susi was quoted as saying by Kompas.com.

These campaigns have the shared aim of working towards the benefit of Indonesia’s fishermen, she explained, adding that results would not be instantaneous as she still needs to coordinate with directorate generals and division heads of her ministry and compile the necessary data.

The short-term programs, meanwhile, will strive to change the mindset of both companies and individuals involved in the country’s marine industry.

“There are several small steps that we can [immediately] take. Again, we want to focus on helping our coastal fishermen,” Susi said. “But want to teach them to become more business minded.”

Susi conceded the success of these programs would partly depend on the government’s efforts to improve and expand on the nation’s infrastructure, including airports, as transportation is key to the distribution of Indonesia’s fisheries products.

President Joko Widodo surprised the nation on Sunday when he placed the businesswoman at the helm of the ministry of maritime affairs and fisheries — an area, critics claim, she knows very little about.

The 49-year-old has made no efforts to deny or disguise her status as a high-school dropout. She established her own fish vendor in Pangandaran, West Java, at the tender age of 18, unknowingly creating a small business that would flourish into ASI Pudjiastuti Marine Products.

Susi expanded into the aviation business in 2004 with ASI Pudjiastuti Aviation and Susi Air, the latter of which has managed to settle into a niche market by flying to remote regions that are not serviced by larger commercial airlines.