The Uniqueness of Border Economics, Before and After the Global Pandemic

Abstract

The trade at the Sebatik and Nunukan borders is very close to the principles of free trade zones. Free trade that has been going on for years between border crossers of the two countries cannot be strictly restricted to comply with National Economic policies. The interpretation of the Indonesia-Malaysia border community on production land and natural resource assets greatly influences land ownership and management arrangements at the border. Some villages on the Sebatik Island become transit villages for various cross-border trade commodities, as well as making the people live in transcultural and transnational environments. The Border Trade Agreement Review was delayed for some time and only reached completion in 2018. The Border Trade Agreement between the two countries took a very long time, proving that it was not easy to manage the Indonesian-Malaysia border areas, which is heavy on Malaysia and culturally like family. Trade across borders creates a unique border economic culture, which can be a guideline for the national economic policies of the two countries. Especially when the border communities find it was difficult to implement cross-border trade policies issued by the central government that generally apply. The uniqueness of the border economy is presented in the perspective of the local community, to get a full description of the economic activities at the border. A local economy is which implements many national and international economic policies. And what about today? After the global pandemic crippled the world economy. It also impacts on the economic activities of the Sebatik-Tawau Border. What about the border economy after locking that closes all cross-border economic access and human movement? I use ethnographic studies in mapping border economic culture. Data collection is through observation and in-depth interviews in an integrated manner and the data are analyzed by social network analysis that can cross-examine data among informants.