Indonesia resumes sea sand exports after banning for 20 years

Illustrative photo (Photo: thestar.com.my)

Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesia has issued a regulation that allows the export of marine sediment in the form of sea sand after banning for 20 years, according to Xinhua.

It quoted local media as reporting on May 29 that the regulation about sea sand export is stipulated under the Government Regulation about Management of Marine Sedimentation Products, which states that sea sand can be used for domestic reclamation, infrastructure development for government businesses, infrastructure development by actors, and exports.

The regulation was signed by Indonesian President Joko Widodo on May 15 and took effect immediately, replacing the previous regulation issued in 2003 that banned sea sand exports over concerns about illegal fishing.

To obtain export permits for sea sand, exporters must submit a permit request and a proposal detailing their plans, partners, and the exact location or coordinate points of the water area they want to utilise.

Before the ban, Singapore imported about 250 million cubic meters of sea sand per year from Indonesia, making it the biggest sea sand importer of Indonesia./.