REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, NUSA DUA - Indonesia's tin reserves on Bangka Island continue to decrease. It is estimated that the existing tin reserves will be exhausted for the next 10 to 15 years. Meanwhile, the government and local government do not have plans to do with the former mining area.

"Until now, there has been no plan, whether it will be used as a tourist area or what," said the head of the Commodity Futures Trading Regulatory Agency (Bappebti) Bachrul Chairi in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Monday (19/9) after giving a presentation at the Indonesia Tin Conference And Expo 2016.

The event, hosted by Indonesia Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (ICDX), was attended by entrepreneurs from 10 countries in the Asia Pacific region. Depletion of tin called Bachrul, making Indonesia worry, as perhaps later after a small tin reserves depleted, Indonesia is a net importer of tin.

Now he calls Malaysia and Singapore who do not have tin reserves. But tin exports are bigger than Indonesia. "We do not know where they can lead. But it is not impossible that we will become a tin importing country, "he said.

Economist Faisal Basri said that world tin prices will continue to rise, following the growth of industries that require more material from tin. According to him, tin is used in almost all industries, because it is the best electric tin tin. Therefore tin will continue to be required and the price is determined by the needs of the market.

"So the price of tin will continue to rise, because the industry will continue to grow. Despite the economic downturn, but the industry continues to grow, people continue to need tin "he said.

Only Faisal regretted, the potential of tin reserves owned by Indonesia has not been fully utilized. According to him, tin should not be exported raw, but must be exported goods become. So that Indonesia can get added value from its tin processing.

"At least not if we ourselves, the industry will absorb its workforce. Selling price can also be more expensive. So tin reserves that are still 10 to 15 years away, should be put to good use, "he said.

Faisal reminded, it is very funny if Indonesia sells tin material, then imports mature tin. He said it should be made of its tin processing factory. Do not be, he said, such as bauxite, of which Indonesia is a producer of bauxite reached four million tons in 2014. Indonesia has the aluminum industry in Asahan, but Indonesia did not have alumina and Indonesia bought his end product. "It should be regulated, but it is not true if the government suddenly prohibits its exports. It could mess up later, "he said.

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