Kupang, indomaritim.com – The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) provincial government projects that the National Salt Industry Center (K-SIGN) in Rote Ndao District will create jobs for around 26,000 local residents and help improve community welfare.
Head of the NTT Marine Affairs and Fisheries Office Stefania Tanggu Boro said in Kupang on Saturday that K-SIGN, which will span 13,000 hectares, is also expected to raise incomes to up to 2.5 times the regional minimum wage.
She added that the K-SIGN project forms part of Indonesia’s efforts to generate greater added value from NTT’s salt industry through downstream processing.
“As the coordinating minister for food has said, Rote Ndao’s salt must not always be sold as a raw material. It must be processed into higher-value products that deliver greater economic benefits for local communities,” Boro said as cited from Antara News Agency.
To support that goal, she continued, the government plans to equip the salt industrial estate with processing facilities, laboratories, and storage sites.
The official also highlighted plans to produce by-products such as magnesium sulfate and potassium to attract investment in related industries.
Furthermore, she linked K-SIGN to Indonesia’s target of achieving salt self-sufficiency by 2027, noting that the government is targeting salt pond productivity of up to 200 tons per hectare, with sodium chloride content exceeding 97 percent to meet industrial requirements.
With an initial development area of 2,000 hectares, K-SIGN is projected to contribute around 400,000 tons of salt to national output if the targeted productivity is achieved.
Boro also highlighted community engagement efforts, saying authorities have begun initiatives to involve and empower residents of the three villages located within the project’s development area.
“However, there remains room to strengthen inclusion efforts, including in area management, job creation, and support for local business development,” she added.
She expressed hope that K-SIGN would not only increase salt production but also spur the emergence of a new economic growth center in NTT. (Hes)
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