REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA \u2013 That morning, at the Benete Port in West\nSumbawa Regency, the sea breeze once again carried the sound of\nlong-silent loading and unloading machinery. Cargo ships, which had been\ninfrequent visitors, now arrived in turn, bringing a cargo of hope for\nWest Nusa Tenggara (NTB).<\/p>\n
On the other side of the island, in the rice fields of Central\nLombok, farmers harvested rice with wider smiles, as yields increased,\neven though the sky still held tales of unpredictable heat and rain.<\/p>\n
These two scenes, mining and farmland, are like two sides of the same\ncoin: one reflects an old power that is beginning to falter, while the\nother promises a new foundation that is slowly being laid. The NTB\neconomy in 2025 stands at that crossroads, between the shadows of the\npast that still hold tight and the faint light of the future that is\nbeginning to appear.<\/p>\n
Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that NTB\u2019s\neconomic growth throughout 2025 was only 3.22 percent, a sharp decline\nfrom 5.30 percent in the previous year. This figure has sparked debate:\nsome call it a serious slowdown, while others see it as a natural\ntransitional phase. However, behind that digit lies a deeper story.<\/p>\n
In the first and second quarters, the NTB economy contracted by 1.43\npercent and 1.12 percent, respectively. The reason is clear: mining\nproduction plummeted by around 50 percent, due to the policy of banning\ncopper concentrate exports and technical problems at the smelter. The\nmining sector, which has long been the main engine of the GRDP, suddenly\nlost steam. The entire region felt the impact.<\/p>\n
However, like the sun appearing after a long night, the fourth\nquarter of 2025 brought a surprise: growth soared 12.49 percent\nyear-on-year. The processing industry jumped 137.78 percent, driven by\nthe copper smelter in West Sumbawa, which finally began full operations.\nExports of goods and services increased by more than 100 percent.<\/p>\n
This surge is not just a number; it is proof that when downstreaming\nworks, added value is created on home soil, rather than being sent raw\nabroad.<\/p>\n
The paradox of 3.22 percent and 12.49 percent is not a contradiction.\nThe first is a picture of a full year, while the second is a glimmer of\nhope at the end of the journey. NTB is moving: from an economy of raw\nextraction to an economy of processing, from dependence on mineral ores\nto mastery of the value chain.<\/p>\n
However, the foundation is still fragile. In the fourth quarter of\n2025, mining and quarrying still contributed 18.75 percent of the GRDP,\nslightly above agriculture (18.49 percent), followed by trade (14.38\npercent). When this capital-intensive sector is disrupted, the entire\neconomy is shaken. Ironically, without the contribution of metal ore\nmining, NTB\u2019s growth actually reached 8.33 percent cumulatively.<\/p>\n
This means that the people\u2019s sectors \u2013 agriculture, trade, small\nindustries, tourism \u2013 continue to pulse steadily, absorbing 33.77\npercent of the workforce in agriculture, 18.96 percent in trade, and\n10.33 percent in the processing industry.<\/p>\n
This is where the challenge lies: high growth from mining does not\nalways trickle down. The extractive sector is often an enclave,\nisolated, with minimal connection to the local economy. When production\nstops, small businesses continue to survive in their own way, even\nthough their added value is still low.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ntb-rising-from-mining-dependence-to-a-more-equitable-economy-1771946259", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }