Hence, there is a high risk of (shipping) accidents, which can cause oil spills that pollute and damage the marine environment.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi virtually inaugurated the ‘2022 Regional Joint Exercise for Oil Spills Prevention in the Sea’ (Regional Marpolex), which is being held in Makassar city, South Sulawesi province, on Tuesday.

The implementation of the Regional Marpolex demonstrates Indonesia’s responsibility to protect the marine environment as a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), he said.

The activity is being carried out by the governments of Indonesia and the Philippines, and supported by the government of Japan.

"Indonesia and the Philippines are two of the world’s largest archipelagic countries, which have wider maritime area than land, thus the operation of sea transportation has become important for the national economy," the minister noted.

Makassar city has been chosen as the host of the event since it is near the Indonesian Islands Waterways (ALKI) II in Makassar Strait, which is a busy international shipping lane.

"Hence, there is a high risk of (shipping) accidents, which can cause oil spills that pollute and damage the marine environment," he noted.

Sumadi said the event will seek to evaluate the procedures for handling oil spills on a local, regional, national, and international scale, as well as improve the cooperation and capabilities of oil spills management personnel.

Furthermore, he lauded the Directorate General of Sea Transportation of the Indonesian Transportation Ministry, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Japan Coast Guard (JCG), the South Sulawesi provincial government, as well as other stakeholders for the implementation of the 2022 Regional Marpolex.

Related news: Indonesia invites Malaysia, Singapore to join Marpolex

On the same occasion, acting director general of sea transportation at the ministry, Captain Mugen S. Sartoto, informed that the event will be held from May 24–27, 2022.

The agenda of the 2022 Regional Marpolex will include a pre-sail conference, planner and controller's meeting, table-top exercise, as well as field training, which will cover search and rescue operations, fire-fighting operations, oil spill recovery operations, equipment recovery operations, damage assessment operations, as well as sailing pass.

"Several trainings regarding the calculation of oil spill recovery operation costs as well as claim and compensation costs will also be carried out," Sartoto, who is also the head of the Indonesian delegation at the 2022 Marpolex Regional, said.

He further said that the directorate general has also invited a number of observers from Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Denmark, as well as other countries that have inked memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Indonesia on handling oil spills at sea to take part in the joint exercise.

Related news: Indonesia to raise marine management issue at G20 EDM-CSWG

Translator: Adimas Fahky, Uyu Liman
Editor: Suharto
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