Government Opens Sea Sand Export Faucet, How Is The Supervision?

Directorate General (Dirjen) of Customs and Excise of the Ministry of Finance Askolani. (Photo: MeryHandayani/VOI)

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

Even so, Jokowi emphasized that what is allowed to be exported is sediment, not sand.

Responding to this, the Directorate General (Dirjen) of Customs and Excise at the Ministry of Finance Askolani emphasized that his party would carry out surveillance in line with the opening of the sea sand export tap.

Therefore, said Askolani, a joint team will be formed to oversee the implementation of the sea sand export policy.

If they (the joint team) later say okay, this is sediment, then they can go, export. If then it is dominant for silica sand, it cannot be exported," explained Askolani when met at her office, East Jakarta, Friday, September 20.

Askolani said that this sea sand export would involve across Ministries. Therefore, he admitted that he would follow the provisions of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KPP) and the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag).

Furthermore, Askolani also emphasized that not all types of sea sand can be exported because there are specifications.

The types of sand that may be exported are contained in the Minister of Trade Regulation Number 21 of 2024 which refers to the Decree of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Number 47 of 2024 concerning the Specification of Sand on the Results of sedimentation in the Sea for Exports.

"He is in his regulation, this is not sea sand but sediment, if we look at it. That is then of course with the regulations that have been made in accordance with the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries," he said.

On the other hand, Askolani admitted that she did not know the data of 66 companies that were applying for a sea sand utilization permit resulting from sedimentation that could be exported as revealed by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP).

"We don't know about the data (66 companies). So that's a process that will be carried out for (exports of sea sand sedimentation)," he said.

Previously, the sea sand export policy took effect after Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan received a proposal from the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) to revise the two Regulations of the Minister of Trade in the export sector.

The revision is contained in the Minister of Trade Regulation 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 the Minister of Trade Number 21 of 2024 concerning the Second Amendment to Regulation of the Minister of Trade Number 23 of 2023 concerning Export Policy and Regulation.

"The revision of the two Permendag is a mandate of Government Regulation Number 26 of 2023 and is a proposal from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) as a supervisory agency for the management of sedimentation results at sea," said the Director General of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Isy Karim.

Even so, Isy emphasized, sea sand exports can only be done after meeting domestic needs.

"Exports from sedimentation in the sea in the form of sea sand can be determined as long as domestic needs are met and in accordance with the provisions of the legislation," he explained.