Coordinating Minister for Food: K-SIGN Rote to Accelerate National Salt Self-Sufficiency
Kupang (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan said the development of the National Salt Industry Centre (K-SIGN) in Rote Ndao, East Nusa Tenggara, follows President Prabowo Subianto’s instruction to accelerate salt self-sufficiency whilst reducing dependence on imports.
“President Prabowo’s message is that if we produce our own salt, we ourselves enjoy the benefits. But if we import salt, others benefit — other countries,” he said during an inspection of the K-SIGN development in Rote Ndao on Thursday.
According to him, the presence of K-SIGN will have a significant economic impact on the people of Rote and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) in general.
He said the development of the salt industrial zone is intended not only to increase national salt production but also to create added economic value for communities in the surrounding areas.
According to him, every hectare of land developed will produce salt whilst also opening up employment, creating new business opportunities, and improving community welfare.
The construction of K-SIGN is an implementation of Presidential Regulation Number 17 of 2025 on the Acceleration of National Salt Development, which serves as the government’s foundation for strengthening the domestic salt industry.
The East Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government believes the presence of the industrial zone will strengthen Rote Ndao’s position as a centre for national salt industry development whilst driving economic growth in the island region.
Beyond increasing salt production capacity, the zone is expected to become a driver of downstream salt industry development and to strengthen the national salt sector supply chain.
The event was also attended by Rote Ndao Regent Paulus Henuk, Head of the NTT Provincial Public Works and Spatial Planning Office Benyamin Nahak, Assistant I of the NTT Provincial Secretariat Alex Lumba, members of the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda), and leaders of Rote Ndao Regency’s regional apparatus.