RI Wants To Stop Salt Imports, KKP Plans To Expand 500 Ha Land In NTT

Director General of Marine and Marine Space Management (PKRL) KKP 'Victor Gustaaf. (Photo: Screenshot/YouTube KKP)

JAKARTA - The government plans to stop importing consumption salt starting in 2025 and industrial salt in 2027.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) revealed a number of strategies to pursue salt self-sufficiency, one of which is expanding salt ponds to 500 hectares (ha) until 2027.

Director General of Marine and Marine Space Management (PKRL) KKP Victor Gustaaf said the extensification of this land is to increase salt production in the country, especially industrial salt.

The plan is for the expansion of the pond land to be carried out in Sabu Raijua Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

As a first step, his party will target the expansion of the 100 hectares (ha) pond starting next year.

"One of them is that we will carry out modeling in Sabu Raijua. Indeed, for Sabu Raijua, the plan is 2025, we will carry out the activity approximately 100 ha first. However, until 2027 it has been around 500 ha," Victor said at a press conference at the KKP office, Friday, December 20.

Victor said that his party would build a pilot project or industrial modeling. The government will build from upstream to downstream, so that it can directly meet industrial needs.

"Well, we will use the salt land there. Then, with government intervention, in this case we make from upstream to downstream. Thus, the salt produced by Sabu Raijua can be sold to industry," he said.

In addition, said Victor, his party will also review two regulations, namely Government Regulation (PP) Number 9 of 2018 concerning Procedures for Controlling Imports of Fishery Commodities and Settlement Commodities as Raw Materials and Industrial Assistance and revising Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 126 of 2022 concerning Accelerating National Settlement Development

"Antara lain pencabutan Peraturan Pemerintah (PP) Nomor 9 Tahun 2018, kemudian kami akan revisi Perpres Nomor 126 Tahun 2022 tentang Percepatan Pembangunan Pergaraman Nasional," tuturnya.