President Prabowo Orders Investigation into Tangerang Sea Barrier
- VIVA.co.id/Yeni Lestari
Jakarta, VIVA – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto summoned Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) Sakti Wahyu Trenggono and Deputy Minister of KKP Didit Herdiawan to the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday (January 20), discussed issues surrounding a sea barrier in the coastal area of Tangerang, Banten Province.
In a statement following the meeting, Minister Trenggono explained that the construction of the sea barrier in the area was carried out without proper authorization.
“I also reported that similar issues are happening not only in Tangerang, Banten but also in Bekasi. Specifically for Tangerang, Banten, I confirmed that we discovered the construction had no permit,” he said.
According to him, the construction of the sea barrier violated the provisions of the Omnibus Law on Job Creation, which mandates that any development in marine areas must have a permit for the suitability of space utilization or KKPRL.
As an initial step, the ministry has sealed off the construction site.
“After we conducted the sealing, we started identifying the ownership because when we sealed it, we didn’t know who owned it. Legally speaking, there has to be someone claiming ownership, and so on and so forth,” the minister explained.
Furthermore, Minister Trenggono revealed the existence of an ownership certificate for an underwater area covering 30 hectares, which is deemed illegal.
In response, he stated that President Prabowo has instructed a thorough investigation into the matter.
Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan, Wahyu Sakti Trenggono
- VIVA/Ahmad Farhan Faris
“The President's directive was clear: investigate the matter comprehensively within the framework of the law. If no legal ownership is found, the property must be returned to the state,” he added.
On this occasion, the minister also mentioned that addressing the sea barrier issue will involve a holistic approach, including collaboration with various entities such as the Navy and the Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla).
