Flood Criticism About Opening Sea Sand Exports, Ministry Of Trade: Main Motorcycle KKP

JAKARTA - Indonesia has reopened the tap for sea sand export after receiving the green light from President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

This sea sand export policy took effect after the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) completed the revision of the two Regulations of the Minister of Trade in the field of exports.

However, the Ministry of Trade's policy of reopening sea sand exports has drawn criticism from many parties. Although what is allowed to be exported is sedimented sand in the sea.

Responding to the many criticisms, the Expert Staff of the Minister of Trade for International Trade Bara Krishna Hasibuan emphasized that the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) is the main motor instead of the tap for sea sand exports.

"So technically there are two Ministries. The main Ministry of KKP Motorcycles, then ESDM, will only be final to us," he told reporters at the Ministry of Trade Office, Jakarta, Monday, September 23.

"They determine which companies are qualified to be able to export," he continued.

Meanwhile, continued Bara, the role of the Ministry of Trade only provides export permits. However, to obtain this export license, the company must of course meet a number of requirements.

"If we (Ministry of Trade) only check the documents Whether all the recommendations have been fulfilled, then we just give permission. So the key is not here (Ministry of Trade) actually," he said.

As previously reported, the Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan opened his voice about the export tap of sea sand that was re-opened.

As is known, the sea sand export policy applies after two Regulations of the Minister of Trade in the field of exports are revised.

The revision is contained in Permendag Number 20 of 2024 concerning the Second Amendment to the Regulation of the Minister of Trade Number 22 of 2023 concerning Goods Prohibited from Exporting and Permendag Number 21 of 2024 concerning the Second Amendment to Regulation of the Minister of Trade Number 23 of 2023 concerning Export Policy and Regulation.

When asked about the impact of the sea sand export license, the man who is familiarly called Zulhas considered that this question was not appropriate to be raised to him.

This is because the export license for these commodities has already been regulated in Government Regulations (PP).

"How come I asked? That's a government policy," Zulhas told reporters when met after the exposure of illegal imported goods in the Jatake Industrial Estate, Tangerang City, Banten, Monday, September 23.

Zulhas said the PP which regulates the export commodity has been issued by the government for a long time. In fact, it was two years ago.

Previously, the government issued Government Regulation Number 26 of 2023 concerning Management of sedimentation Results in the Sea. Where the regulation contains a series of activities for transporting, placing, using, and selling, including exports of sedimentation products in the sea in the form of sea sand.

Therefore, according to Zulhas, the Permendag issued by his party is a consequence of the PP.

"There are government regulations, it's been a long time, so if you want to ask first, it should be a consequence. It's been two years, right," he said.

When asked about whether he agrees with the PP, Zulhas emphasized that this is not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing. However, he served as a minister who is part of the government.

"I'm the government, so when there is a government regulation, I don't participate," he explained.