JAKARTA - The government is encouraged to ensure that every salt import policy is accompanied by an obligation for importers to absorb domestically produced salt that has met quality standards.
This step is considered important so that import policies do not weaken the position of local producers while still supporting the national salt self-sufficiency target in 2027.
Based on the planning document of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), the national salt production target is increased from 2.25 million tons in 2025 to 2.5 million tons in 2026.
The increase in the target reflects the government's commitment to strengthening domestic production as part of efforts to achieve salt self-sufficiency by 2027.
On the other hand, data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that the import of industrial salt with HS code 25010093 throughout January-May 2026 reached around 936 thousand tons or increased by 13.1 percent compared to the same period last year.
This condition shows that the increase in domestic production needs to be accompanied by policies that require importers to absorb local salt, because without this mechanism, the increase in production will not necessarily be followed by a guarantee that the harvest of salt farmers will be absorbed in the market.
Head of the Macro Economics and Finance Center of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF), Muhammad Rizal Taufikurahman, assessed that the policy on salt imports should be based on an accurate industrial needs balance sheet and be carried out selectively to meet specifications that have not been able to be produced domestically.
"Import policies must be accompanied by distribution supervision so that they do not enter the consumer market, and integrated with the obligation to absorb local salt that has met quality standards," said Rizal.
For information, the provisions regarding the obligation to absorb local salt by importers were previously regulated in the Regulation of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Number 66 of 2017 concerning the Control of the Importation of Salt Commodities.
However, the regulation was revoked through the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Regulation Number 27 of 2022 without being accompanied by a replacement rule that regulates a similar mechanism in its entirety.
Therefore, even though the regulation has been revoked, the principle of absorbing local salt is considered to still need to be maintained in the management of salt imports, and the government is expected to ensure that every import permit is accompanied by the obligation to absorb domestically produced salt that meets standards so that imports do not suppress the market for local producers.
In its implementation, the control of salt imports requires cross-ministerial coordination, namely the Coordinating Ministry for Food to ensure that the balance of needs and supplies is carried out transparently.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Trade has a role in ensuring that import approvals are not only focused on administrative completeness.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry is responsible for verifying industrial needs based on specifications that cannot be met by domestic producers. The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries is responsible for ensuring that the production capacity of national salt is part of the basis for formulating import policies.
Meanwhile, Presidential Regulation Number 17 of 2025 concerning the Acceleration of National Salt Development sets the target for salt self-sufficiency in 2027 as a national mandate.
However, this mandate needs to be translated into more operational policies, one of which is through the obligation to absorb local salt as a condition in granting import permits.
Article 15 of the Presidential Decree states that the national salt needs can be met from other sources under certain conditions if there is a supply disruption or a shortage of national needs.
However, this provision is considered to need to be supplemented with clear, transparent, and data-based parameters so that it does not become a loophole for opening imports without the obligation to absorb domestic production.
Therefore, the determination of certain conditions should not only refer to data on industry needs, but also consider the availability of stocks, national production capacity, and the realization of local salt absorption.
Thus, the import policy remains in line with the salt self-sufficiency target 2027 without reducing market opportunities for domestic producers.
Meanwhile, Praxa Institute Economist Hardy Hermawan, emphasized that the government needs to ensure that imported salt does not leak into the household market, including through the oplosan practice.
According to him, supervision of distribution is an important factor so that the import of industrial salt does not interfere with the consumption salt market as well as local production.
"Make sure that there is no leakage of imported salt into the household market, including through oplosan," said Hardy.
Hardy also assessed that the import process must be carried out transparently, fairly, and free from special treatment for certain parties, and the government is encouraged to maintain the integrity of import governance so as not to cause distortions in business competition.
"Make sure the import process for salt is transparent, fair, and clean, without any privileges for certain actors," said Hardy.
Furthermore, he said that salt imports could still be carried out to meet industrial needs as long as they were able to create added value for the economy.
However, Hardy said the government also needed to open data on the salt industry and trade in a transparent and sustainable manner, as well as strengthen support for local salt farmers.
Thus, the salt import policy is not enough to regulate quotas and permits, and importers who obtain permits should be required to prove the realization of the absorption of local salt, especially for types of salt that have been able to be produced domestically.
In the midst of efforts to realize salt self-sufficiency by 2027, the government is expected to ensure that import policies are in line with strengthening national production, because without clear absorption obligations, the increase in production targets has the potential not to be followed by market certainty for domestically produced salt.
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