On one hand, our remote islands are tasked with key roles such as safeguarding of national boundaries and Exclusive Economic Zones, use of maritime resources, inter-generational preservation of diverse cultures, and environmental conservation; on the other hand, they face difficult natural and social conditions compared to other regions, being surrounded on all sides by water, enduring ongoing long-term depopulation, and experiencing relatively high shipping cost for everyday necessities and other items, among other challenges. Due to the secircumstances, the government has been implementing a number of policies necessary for revitalization of remote islands as well as enacting laws such as the Remote Islands Development Act. The Agency for Natural Resources and Energy has initiatives that seek to ensure that remote islands are supplied bothreliably and at low cost with petroleum products that are everyday essentials, including fuel for automobiles, an important form of transportation on remote islands.
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