Already dependent: a dependency analysis of market activity on tin mining in Bangka Belitung

Tin in Bangka Belitung has been exploited since 17th century; however, local people have received the opportunity in mining only in the last two decades, when the tin was not set as a state’s strategic commodity. Therefore, since the last two decades, people economic activities in this area have dramatically increased. Nevertheless, it was not as long as two decades that tin had its glory. The tin price fluctuated along with its production. However, in turn, the market has already been dependent on tin mining. Through the qualitative study having survey motive, this paper traced the answer of the key question: “Is it true that Bangka Belitung economy is a tin economy?” This study was performed in a market area selling people’s primary and tertiary needs in all regions and municipalities of Bangka Belitung Islands Province. It concluded that market dependency on tin mining was extremely high. Market has had a direct impact on the price increase and decrease of tin mining and its production. It also inferred that at least the tin mining and trader were in the same condition in that they were very depended on tin commodity. This was a consequence of the motivation of the economy from which it was initially independent, and it was at this time that it became dependent, and it was difficult to get out of this dependence. This condition was called as already dependent