The House of Representatives (DPR) through its Commission VII is urging Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Arifin Tasrif to reconsider the ban on bauxite ore exports, with a proposal to reintroduce limited export quotas. Deputy Chairperson of DPR's Commission VII, Maman Abdurrahman, stated that lifting the export ban on bauxite is aimed at stimulating regional economies and revenues from bauxite-producing areas. "Commission VII of DPR RI urges the Minister of ESDM to review and reopen the policy on banning bauxite exports with limited export quotas in order to stimulate the economies of bauxite-producing regions in accordance with prevailing laws and regulations," said Maman during a hearing with the Minister of ESDM on Monday (July 8, 2024). Under President Joko Widodo's administration, the export of bauxite ore was halted effective June 10, 2023, as mandated by Law Number 3 of 2020 (Mining Law). With the implementation of the bauxite export ban policy, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) reports that many bauxite smelter projects are currently stalled. Irwandy Arif, Special Staff to the Minister of ESDM for Accelerating Mineral and Coal Governance, mentioned that out of 12 bauxite smelter projects under development, only four are operational. "The remaining eight projects have not progressed significantly. Previously, these eight developers promised to complete the smelter construction once they were allowed to export bauxite. However, by 2023, it was clear that progress was insufficient," Irwandy explained at the Ministry of ESDM on Friday (June 21, 2024). The stagnation in smelter construction has prompted the government to enforce the ban on bauxite ore exports. Irwandy highlighted the need for these projects to secure funding and accelerate development to revitalize the sector effectively.

Source: https://ekonomi.bisnis.com/read/20240708/44/1780535/dpr-dorong-menteri-esdm-buka-kembali-keran-ekspor-bijih-bauksit