In a statement here, Thursday, legislator of Commission XI on finance and development planning Heri Gunawan expressed concern over the management of the fishery sector of small islands by foreign investors, as it could dwarf the local communitys role and spark unrest.
He stressed that the policy to grant privilege to foreign investors to manage small islands could hurt the nations interests.
"If we speak about national interests, I think there is no excuse, including for investment," he noted.
According to Gunawan, Article 3 of the Constitution stipulated that the countrys natural resources should be used for boosting the peoples wealth.
Meanwhile, an analyst of the fishery sector Abdul Halim believes that the ministry will need to involve all elements of society before it invites foreign investors.
The ministry should work closely with local governments and communities to formulate local regulations, he emphasized.
The ministry had earlier said it would restructure the utilization of small islands and their ownership to decide whether they could be managed by the local communities or private companies. (*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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