According to the central statistical agency (BPS), as of October 2019, nickel ore exports have reached 26.65 million tons, or more than the 26.06 million tons quota approved by the ministry of energy and mineral resources (ESDM). Nonetheless, the ministry of energy and minerals counters that nickel exports exceed quotas.

Unfortunately, the energy and mineral resources department is reluctant to explain the discrepancy. Yunus Saefulhal, mining and counselling manager at the energy and mineral resources department, said: "please forgive me for not commenting on nickel ore."

The discrepancy in nickel export data is the main reason why the government suspended exports of nickel ore for two weeks from October 29. But now, after the government set up an investigation team, the ban has been lifted and the results show that the export quota was not exceeded. Although the number of ships carrying nickel ore from our country increased from about 30 under normal conditions to 150.

Bambang Gatot, director of the department of coal and mines at the ministry of energy and mineral resources, said there was no evidence of any discrepancy in erifikasi's Numbers.

One reason, he claims, is that mining companies hope to have used up the remaining nickel export quotas by the end of the year. "In accordance with the quota issued and mining capacity."

In August 2019, the government announced a policy to speed up the ban on nickel exports, which took effect in early 2020. The original plan was to allow nickel exports until 2022.

In fact, some mining companies have been granted export quotas until 2020 before they are announced in August 2019. As a result, the company is actively increasing production in order to implement the export quota until the end of 2019. "With exports banned in January 2020, mining companies are trying to hurry up."

According to the investor daily, exports of nickel ore surged to 64.8 million tons in 2013 near the ban time. At that time, the government announced a ban on the export of coarse ore (ore) from early 2014, according to coal and minerals act no. 4 of 2009, which states that coarse ore has a five-year export opportunity.

According to the central statistics agency, actual exports of nickel ore reached 17.5 million tons in 2010, up from 10.4 million tons in 2009. Then, in 2011, exports surged to 40.7 million tons, or 132% more than a year earlier. Exports rose again in 2012 to 48.4m tonnes.

Exports surged in 2013, or 64.8 million tons, a year after the ban was implemented.

In 2017, the government again opened the export channel for nickel ore, but the export license was limited, namely, only to the mining companies constructing smelter. Every six months, the construction and development of the smelter will be evaluated. If the smelter fails to reach 90% of the target, sanctions will be imposed, i.e. the export license will be cancelled.(From Alu)