Sea Sand Export Policy Contradicts Govt's Downstream Program: Economist

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A senior economist from the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) Fadhil Hasan assessed the policy of sea sand export permit clearly contradicts the downstream program that the government has recently glorified. This new regulation is stipulated in PP No. 26 of 2023 signed by President Joko Jokowi Widodo.

Fadhil said that one of the statements often made by the government is that they don't want to sell land, forests, and natural resources without added value. Under this pretext, the government is encouraging downstream industry.

“But granting sea sand export permits is very bare evidence that we (Indonesia) will export raw materials. Natural resources that have no added value. They are just dredged and sent to Singapore,” Fadhil said in a virtual discussion on the sustainability of sea sand management on Friday, June 9, 2023.

According to Fadhil, the government allows the export of sea sand as an effort to attract investment from Singapore for the new capital city or IKN Nusantara project. “It’s a kind of bartering.”

This policy will indeed benefit Singapore as the neighboring country can carry out reclamation and expand its land area to build housing or other needs.

“On the one hand, the government also hopes that Singapore will be interested in investing in IKN,” Fadhil argued.

Moreover, the economist mentioned that President Jokowi recently attended Ecosperity Week 2023 in Singapore and invited Singaporean citizens to reside at Indonesia’s new capital in East Kalimantan.

RIRI RAHAYU

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