REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Ministry of Trade denies claim of salt mafia. Minister of Maritime and Fishery Affairs Susi Pudjiastuti earlier said that salt mafia, or she called it samurai, hampered the move to stop salt import.

"What is samurai? There is no samurai. We will not import salt if the salt supply is sufficient," Director General of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Trade Partogi Pangaribuan said on Monday, December 8.

Pangaribuan admitted that five or six companies still imported salt for consumption. However, they usually stop importing salt if local salt farmers produce salt in sufficient amount.

Indonesia produces 2.1 million tonnes salt per year, while the demand reaches 3.5 million tonnes per year. Domestic production can only cover the demand of salt for consumption. 

Pangaribuan said imported salt was usually used for salt for industry, especially the production of instant noodle. "Industry cannot use salt for consumption. They need high quality salt with higher NaCl (sodium chloride) and lower Mg (magnesium) and Ca (calsium)," he said.

Indonesia, he said, had not produced such salt yet. "It is not that we cannot produce. We just have to increase the quality," he said. 

Earlier Ministry of Maritime and Fishery Affairs stated that Indonesia would no longer import salt. However, the move is hampered by other ministries, such as Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Trade, as they shut the data of salt import. "I have asked Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Trade to tell us about the samurai. In Korea, they fight corruption by open up those who involve in a case," he said.

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