The government of Indonesia has begun moves to establish a new coast guard agency that will succeed the current Maritime Security Agency (Baklama) and will have greater responsibilities.
As explained, Baklama was established by Indonesian President Joko Widodo in 2014. The aim was to replace and formalize the loosely-coordinated security agency that preceded it. In 2022 Baklama was strengthened, being given authority as the coordinating agency for all maritime law enforcement in Indonesia. It was also given the job of the nation’s maritime security strategy.
But several competing agencies remain, and the Indonesian government has been hesitant to step on too many bureaucracy toes. Indonesia’s transport ministry has a shipping safety service, the Indonesian Sea and Coast Guard Unit (KPLP), which handles regulatory functions for ports and shipping.
The stacking up of different agencies is perhaps not a surprise, given that Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic, consisting of some 17,000 islands. However, with so many agencies operating in similar areas to each other, the current Widodo administration is looking to unify them. Baklama already refers to itself as the “Indonesia Coast Guard”, although that name has no legal force.
As informed, under its current structure Baklama has to draw on the vessels and personnel of other Indonesian agencies to operate. Currently it is comprised of a mix of civilian and military officials drawn from other institutions, such as the navy and police.
