Ban on sand exports to Singapore gains support

M. Ara Syaf, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru

The central government's decision to halt the much-criticized export of sand from Riau to Singapore has gained political support from the provincial legislative council.

Abdul Kadir, chairman of the Riau provincial legislative council's Commission IV on mining, said the legislature fully supported the government's decision because, besides having adversely affected the environment, the quarrying of sand had only benefited Singapore and a select group of people in the province.

"The decision was made following a great deal of criticism, particularly from the legislative council," he said, after presiding the meeting of the legislature's Commission IV on environment and mining in the city on Friday.

Kadir said it was very unfair that Singapore had developed its modern international airport and enlarged its territory using sand from Riau, which had been bought at a cheap price.

He said that, according to his commission's field observations, a major part of the sand supplied to the neighboring island state was extracted without permission from the local authorities and sold at a cheap price on the local black market.

"Illegal sand quarrying has got out of hand because it has been backed by unauthorized servicemen. Illegally quarried sand has been sold at 4.5 Singapore Cents per ton to foreign brokers on the black market," he said.

Local businessmen, who requested anonymity, said that the illegally mined sand was supplied to the black market, which was dominated by Singaporean, South Korean, Japanese and Hong Kong brokers and businessmen, before being exported to Singapore.

In a coordination meeting in the city on Thursday, Riau Governor Saleh Djasit, Minister of Trade and Industry Rini Soewandi, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto and Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Indroko Sastrowiryono and local businesspeople agreed to stop sand-mining and its export to Singapore, because it did not benefit the nation.

The meeting was held following sharp criticism of the extensive sand quarrying that is going on in Riau's waters, which does not benefit locals and further deteriorates the local marine environment.

Governor Saleh Djasit hailed the agreement and said he would order the local police to enforce it.

"All permits issued for the export of sand will be retracted and the police will be instructed to help stop sand quarrying in Riau's waters," he said after the meeting.

Djasit said the ban on sand exports was, for the time being, to give an opportunity for the government to make rearrangements in the sector.

He conceded the sand exports did not bring any financial benefit, either to the province or to local people living along the coast.

"The provincial administration only earns S$1 from each ton of sand exported because it has been unable to control the export as a major part of the sand exported to Singapore has been mined without any permit from the local administration," he said, citing the sand was sold at between $8 and $12 per ton.

He said that sand mining had caused the serious deterioration of the marine environment, which had affected the livelihoods of more than two million fishermen living along the province's coastal areas.

The local police have encountered difficulties in putting an end to the illegal sand business, because it has been backed by unauthorized servicemen, which is why the Army and Navy chiefs were present at the coordination meeting.

According to the governor, the illegal sand business began during the 1980s and has caused Rp 2.5 trillion in material losses to the provincial administration.

Minister Rini Soewandi concurred and said the sand export ban is aimed not only at revamping the mining sector but also at improving the government's bargaining power.

According to her, the export of sand had solely benefited the importer, which had affected the nation's dignity because the exported sand was sold at such a low price that it did not cover all the material and environmental costs that Riau has had to bear.

"Singapore has rapidly expanded its territory thanks to sand exported from Indonesia but Riau remains in a poor condition," she said.

Without having any intention to interfere in Riau's internal affairs, the minister said the province should revise its sand exports to enable the sector to maximize benefits for locals.