Susi Pudjiastuti Encourages Govt to Subsidize Salt or Stop Salt Import

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti responded to the plummeting price of salt by recommending the government subsidize salt. "The government could subsidize salt for salt farmers, with incentives," Susi tweeted on her Twitter/X account on Thursday, August 24, 2023.

In addition to subsidies, Susi also urged the government to limit or ban salt imports during drought. She mentioned that excess salt import will decrease the value of local farmers' salt. Currently, salt prices plummeted to Rp900 per kilogram.

Previously, Susi also said that salt import could be limited be around 1.7 million tonnes to increase the salt prices back to what it was from 2015 to 2018. She emphasized that importing more than 2.1 tonnes of salt will be hazardous to salt farmers.

From 2015 to 2018, the salt prices range from Rp1,500 to Rp2,500 per kilogram. Unfortunately, in 2018, the ministry's regulation on salt was annulled by Government Regulation No. 9 of 2018 on the salt and fisheries commodities import control.

According to the former minister, the ministry ought to be authorized to control the salt import to protect domestic salt farmers. Thus, Susi urged the government to limit or stop salt imports immediately. In addition, she asks for a more rigid control for salt import to avoid any violations. 

"Imagine how prosperous [domestic] salt farmers would be if [Indonesia] purchased from them," she concluded.

RIANI SANUSI PUTRI

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