Govt to issue salt import licenses

Kompas.comDespite being the largest archipelagic country with the fourth longest coastline, Indonesia has yet to be able to produce enough salt for its domestic needs and therefore the government plans to issue licenses to import salt at the end of this month.

“We will issue the import permits, but only once we have ensured that all salt stocks produced by domestic farmers and traders can be absorbed,” director general of foreign trade at the Trade Ministry, Deddy Saleh, said on Friday as quoted by Antara news agency.

He said the government would only allow salt imports up until this year’s harvest season.

According to the ministry’s calculations, in December last year the domestic salt stock was only 306,000 tons, insufficient to fulfill domestic salt needs before the next harvest.

Deddy said the salt harvest season usually started in July with the peak harvesting period in August. Therefore the ministry would allow salt imports up until then.

Last year total national salt production was 1.1 million tons with 120,000 tons of consumption per month.

“With only 306,000 tons in stock it will only be enough until March,” Deddy said.(iwa)