Minister: Fisheries Ministry Budget Up By 18 Pct

Jakarta, Dec 11 (ANTARA) - Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Sharif Cicip Sutardjo said that his ministry`s budget for 2013 increased 18 percent to Rp7.07 trillion. "The increase in the budget allocation for the maritime affairs and fisheries ministry reflects the increasing trust in its performance in developing the maritime and fisheries sector," Minister Sutardjo said here on Tuesday. Therefore, he called on officials of the ministry to use the budget beginning in 2013 based on the law in force and based on the effective and efficient management concept. The minister said that the budget should be used to achieve the main target as specified in the ministry`s 2013 strategy and work plans. He said that in 2013 his ministry has set itself the target of achieving economic functions with budget accounting for 66 percent and environment as well as public services with budget respectively accounting for 3 percent and 25 percent. Besides, it is also expected to achieve its educational function with 6 percent of the budget, which is part of the national education budget worth 20 percent. On the economic functions, the ministry has set of fishery gross domestic product growth of 7 percent and fishery production growth of 18.49 million tons, he said. The other economic functions included export values worth US$5 billion and a fish consumption of 35.14 kg per capita per year.