JAKARTA - Member of Commission IV DPR Andi Akmal Pasluddin asked the government to meet with salt farmers more often before importing this year. According to him, there are still many local salt stocks that have not been absorbed even though the need for 2021 will reach 4.6 tons.
"Meet with salt farmers often. Give good support, invite dialogue and give solutions. This actually makes the farmers scream spontaneously and shocked many parties," said Andi Akmal at the DPR building, Jakarta, Wednesday, March 17.
Moreover, according to him, President Joko Widodo has been determined to be self-sufficient in salt since 2015. The Ministry of Industry, called Andi Akmal, is also determined to optimize the absorption of local salt in 2021. However, in reality, the government continues to import salt.
Andi Akmal assessed that the problem of importing salt is somewhat similar to that of rice. Where every year there is no solution and even raises polemics.
"In fact, all parties understand that our nation's need for salt is constrained by quality to meet industrial needs," said the PKS politician.
According to Andi Akmal, the availability of national salt is sufficient to meet all needs, both industry and consumption, even excess if the management is good.
"Since entering the House of Representatives in 2014, I have shouted at the government to solve the problem of importing salt. Now the regulations are getting looser with the existence of the Job Creation Law, where legal import is a term of sovereignty. Now our commodity sovereignty has completely deviated from its true meaning, "explained Andi Akmal.
He admits that he received reports from the public regarding the hardships of life for salt farmers because the price of salt has declined.
According to him, government development so far has not been able to alleviate the problems faced by salt farmers. Even the price of salt, which was Rp. 125,000 per sack, today has fallen sharply to Rp. 15,000 per sack.
"There are still a lot of salt in the people that has not been absorbed. If imports are continued, this is tantamount to drowning the life of salt farmers slowly," said Akmal.
Akmal emphasized that salt farmers currently really need the existence of the government to help their lives. It is not an existence that dwarfs its livelihoods by importing it which should not be carried out.
"This import is a shortcut to meet the needs of industrial salt, without thinking about the existence of people's salt which should be increased in level so that it meets the requirements of industrial needs," concluded Andi Akmal.
Previously, the government planned to make a policy of opening salt import taps to meet the domestic demand for salt. Although the government is still waiting for data related to the supply of salt needs from related agencies.
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