TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo needs to realize that his instruction to stop the illegal mining and export of tin has been ineffective. A month after the order was given, the illegal practice that costs the nation revenue, has not lessened in the slightest. There must be something wrong with the chain of command, or even indications of deliberate insubordination, if an instruction from a president can simply be ignored.
Data from the Malaysian stock exchange show there are still abundant stocks of tin, far in excess of mining output. Thailand and Singapore, which have no tin mines, are also still processing and exporting tens of thousands of tons of the commodity. It is certain that most of it has flooded in from illegal mines in Bangka-Belitung.
We may well convey protests to these neighboring countries, demanding to know why they are allowing imports of tin ore, exports of which are strictly prohibited by law in Indonesia. But it is no good simply blaming others for the holes in our fence, especially if these breaches were committed under the noses of the very people who should be preventing them.
For years small unlicensed mines have been operating in Bangka-Belitung financed by major players backed by officials. Many of them even extract ore in protected forests and conservation areas, without thinking of the environmental damage caused by this uncontrolled mining. Because these practices are illegal, the state receives no revenues in the form of taxes, royalties or export duties from the tin they sell overseas.
It's hard to believe that Customs officials, police officers or military personnel there know nothing about these widespread illegal practices. The Bangka-Belitung governor even said that there are now at least 1,640 illegal mines in the province supplying tin to Malaysia. Their production capacity is around 950 tons per day.
We understand that the governor would face problems if he acted hastily in trying to close down their operations, but hiding behind this concern and using it as an excuse to do nothing is unacceptable. This is like admitting he is not the right person for the job.
Immediately after the president's visit to Bangka-Belitung at the end of June, the Navy sent three warships there. But once again, this show of force was a paper tiger because the commanders have yet to receive a single order apart from sailing to and fro, then anchoring their vessels.
As a result, the illegal miners were sent a message that the government is powerless to stop them. And subsequently the imposition of the clean and clear condition on tin exporters has actually been delayed until November.
As the second largest tin producer, it is truly sad to see that Indonesia has no control whatsoever over the global tin market. The president's desire to improve matters is right and deserves support, but first Jokowi needs to convince his aides to follow his orders. (*)