Government Stops Exporting Sand
Tuesday, 23 January, 2007 | 14:35 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Department of Trade has banned all sand, soil, and top soil (including humus) exports.

This is being carried out in order to protect the environment and to safeguard the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia.

“After observations in the field, there is actually quite heavy environmental damage and the banning of sand exports is a response to this,” said Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu yesterday (01/23).

The ban is contained in Trade Ministerial Regulation Number 01/M-DAG/PER/1/2007 on Ban of Sand, Soil and Top Soil Exports and has been in force since 23 January 2007.

In this regulation, there are four tariff categories that are banned from being exported: natural sand, silicon sand, quartz sand and clay.

In addition to environmental damage, Mari said that the export ban was also to handle issues relating to state borders.

“Because the point is that, in addition to environmental damage and the changing inter-island configuration in the Riau Islands, it would disturb the security of inter-island borders,” she said.

Mari confirmed that the export ban will be in force permanently.

So far, the main destination for exporting sand has been Singapore.

It was recorded that in 2005, total export values reached US$9.3 million: US$6 million to Singapore, and US$2.4 million to China, with the remainder going to Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Australia.

RR Ariyani