Riani Sanusi Putri, Jakarta – Director General of Foreign Trade at the Trade Ministry, Budi Santoso, emphasized that the export of sea sand is still prohibited albeit Government Regulation (PP) No. 26 of 2023 concerning the management of sedimentation products in the sea is issued on May 15.

"It is still banned until now. According to the Trade Minister's Regulation, it is still prohibited," Budi said when met at his office, Central Jakarta, Thursday, July 6, 2023.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo passed PP No. 26 of 2023 which contains a series of activities for transportation, placement, use, and sale, as well as the export of sedimentation results at the seabed in the form of sea sand.

Based on the PP, exports of sea sand are permitted if domestic needs have been met. However, Budi explained that technical regulations for implementing exports of the commodity have yet to exist. The Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Ministry (KKP) is forming a study team to formulate this regulation.

The Trade Ministry, Budi went on, has not been involved in matters regarding sea sand export regulations. According to him, the commodity export will continue to be banned if the Trade Minister's Regulation concerning the sale of this commodity has not been amended.

As widely reported, Indonesia restricted the export of sea sand through a Joint Decree between the Industry Minister, the Trade Minister, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister, and the Environment Minister in 2002 to prevent wider environmental damage, such as the sinking of small islands particularly around the outermost areas of the Indonesian territorial boundaries in Riau Islands.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1745079/trade-ministry-asserts-sea-sand-exports-still-prohibite