TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian government will ban salt imports for various food and pharmaceutical needs starting January 1, 2025. This regulation is stated in Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 126 of 2022 concerning the Acceleration of National Saltification.

"Salt that can be imported is only for the needs of chlor alkali plant (CAP). If it is for various food and pharmaceutical purposes, it will no longer be allowed starting January 1, 2025," said the Director General of Chemical, Pharmaceutical, and Textile Industry of the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin), Reni Yanita, to journalists at the Westin Jakarta on Monday, November 18, 2024.

However, Reni stated that the ban on salt imports for pharmaceutical purposes may be relaxed. This is because, despite the addition of industries, the production of salt from farmers and cooperatives to meet pharmaceutical needs is still insufficient.

Reni admitted that the pharmaceutical industry is currently not ready to stop imports and replace them with domestic salt. This is because changing the source of raw materials requires a lengthy process.

Industries must obtain a Good Manufacturing Practice (CPOB) certificate from the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM). According to her, this process can take up to two years.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita asked Reni to evaluate the issue of not mandating CAP industries to absorb local salt in the Perpres.

Since it is not prohibited and domestic production is insufficient, Indonesia still imports a lot of CAP salt to this day. According to Agus, the fulfillment of CAP salt needs can actually be a mixture of local and imported salt.

"Perhaps later, the Directorate General of Chemical, Pharmaceutical, and Textile Industry can promptly conduct an evaluation. I want the CAP to also be required to absorb local salt," said Agus Gumiwang during the Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for Absorption of Domestic Production Salt in 2024 and 2025 at The Westin Jakarta on Monday, November 18, 2024.

In the Perpres read by Tempo, the government regulates national salt needs including salt for consumption, various food industries, water treatment, leather tanning industries, animal feed industries, and fish preservation industries.

In addition, national salt needs include livestock and plantation needs, soap and detergent industries, textile industries, oil drilling, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and chemical or chlor alkali industries.

These salt needs must be met from domestic salt production by salt farmers and businesses no later than 2024. However, salt needs for chemical or chlor alkali industries are exempted from this obligation.

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