Jakarta. Indonesia will stop importing salt for consumption starting next year, in line with Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 126/2022 on the national salt industry.

"We will no longer import salt for consumption starting next year. This is regulated by Perpres 126, and it is a huge responsibility," said Chief of Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) during a press conference at the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries in Jakarta on Thursday.

The regulation differentiates between salt for consumption and salt for industrial purposes 

Despite being an archipelago with an extensive coastline, Indonesia still relies on salt imports. According to the latest data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Indonesia imported 2.8 million tons of salt in 2023, valued at Rp 1.35 trillion.

Zulhas said the policy would be closely monitored to ensure successful implementation. The government plans to extend this initiative by eliminating imports of industrial salt within two years.

"In two years, we will also expect the Marine Affairs Ministry to manage industrial salt production. We must produce it domestically. So, two years from now, we should not be importing salt for industry," Zulhas stated.

This move is part of the government's broader vision to achieve food self-sufficiency by 2027, ahead of the initial target set for 2028-2029.