Indonesia's Foreign Minister confirmed that his country will not charge fees for passage through the Malacca Strait, following a proposal by the Finance Minister after Iran began charging fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
On 23 Apr 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Sukiono, Indonesia's Foreign Minister, confirmed that his country would not impose taxes on ships passing through the Malacca Strait, as such an action would be inconsistent with international law. This statement came one day after the Finance Minister proposed the idea.
According to Indonesia's Antara news agency, Mr. Sukiono told reporters in Jakarta that Indonesia respects international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
"Indonesia's position as an archipelagic state is that we must respect international law, especially UNCLOS," Mr. Sukiono said. "Historically, UNCLOS includes understandings and agreements that recognize us as an archipelagic state, provided we do not enforce tolls or fees in the straits within our territory."
Mr. Sukiono added, "We hope for free navigation. As a trading partner country, we support freedom of navigation. I believe many countries are committed to creating sea routes that are free, neutral, and mutually beneficial."
"Therefore, the answer is no. Indonesia is not in a position to collect passage fees."
Mr. Sukiono's remarks came just one day after Mr. Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, the Finance Minister, floated the possibility of imposing such fees, inspired by Iran's plan to charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Mr. Purbaya also said that the proposal aligns with President Prabowo Subianto's directive for Indonesia to position itself as a "key player" in the global economic arena.
However, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore's Foreign Minister, told CNBC on Wednesday that Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, as coastal states of the Malacca Strait, have a "cooperation mechanism" to not impose passage fees and intend to maintain this approach.
"We do not charge tolls. We are all trade-dependent economies, and we all understand that keeping this route open is in our own interest."
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Source:cna