TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Resources Rizal Ramli held a meeting to discuss suspected cartel in the salt trade in Jakarta on Monday, September 21.

"There are allegedly seven groups controlling the salt trade, I call them the seven salt robbers, they allegedly create a very dangerous cartel,” he said Monday.

The meeting was held with three other ministers: Minister of Trade Thomas Lembong, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti and Minister fo Industry Saleh Husin. The meeting was held at the office of Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Resources in Jakarta.

Rizal Ramli explained the alleged cartel carried out by the seven companies include activities to increase the number of imported salt when harvest time arrives.

When farmers in the country were not in production, the price of salt will be increased by the cartel, so that the activities harm the society. "These cartels are destroying the industry and farmers in the country, the ones that enjoy [the situation] are traders and quota holders of salt," he said.

According to Rizal, the government will continue to evaluate the salt trade system that still use a quota system. “So far, the quota system used in the salt trade made the import volume to increase constantly and never go down, therefore this system needs to be studied," he said.

DEVY