Local salt has lost saltiness

Indonesia is often called an archipelago or a maritime country. Unfortunately, it is yet to be self-sufficient in salt.

This country sustains a significant deficit of salt. It can only supply 1.21 million tons of salt or 46.5 percent of the total demand of 2.6 million tons of salt nationwide.

To cover this short supply, salt is imported from Australia and India.

With due respect to those devoting themselves to the production of salt, it is quite proper, at this stage, to question whether this inability to meet the national demand for salt is a blessing or a disaster. Salt-making is not difficult, it has been practiced from one generation to another.

Our inability to be self-sufficient in salt is strong evidence that we, as a nation, often trifle with daily problems. Haven't we also failed to be self-supplying in other vital commodities such as rice, sugar, soybeans, corn and many others staple foods, not to say high technology products.

In this context, the government in the reform era should really focus its attention to how this nation can be self- sufficient in basic commodities.

Among other things, the government should assign all government agencies and technically relevant institutions to go all out in making the program of self-sufficiency in daily necessities a success. Then, the government may proceed with areas where the mastery of higher technology will be needed.

Unfortunately, it is often reported that cooperation between government agencies is very weak. Not infrequently do these agencies involve themselves in counterproductive actions such as trying to cause rival agencies to fail. Securing projects means more pocket money for virtually everyone in the government agencies concerned.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta