Government to Develop Salt Industry Project in Rote Ndao, NTT, Covering 10,764 Hectares
The government has positioned Rote Ndao, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), as a cornerstone of its national salt self-sufficiency ambitions through the development of the National Salt Industry Centre (KSIGN), which covers a total area of approximately 10,764 hectares.
The project is designed not only to increase domestic salt production but also to serve as an instrument for equitable development in NTT, with targets to create employment, stimulate the local economy, and alleviate poverty.
The Head of the Indonesian Government Communication Agency (Bakom), Muhammad Qodari, stated that the development of KSIGN in Rote Ndao is part of the government’s priority programme to expand economic growth centres in NTT.
“The development of the National Salt Industry Centre or KSIGN in Rote Ndao is also part of the equitable development in NTT,” he said during a press conference at the Bakom Office, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday, 2 September 2026.
“This priority programme is expected to provide economic growth effects, job provision, and poverty alleviation in the area,” he continued.
The government, through the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), targets the development of 2,000 hectares within the KSIGN area. Of this target, the first phase covering 616 hectares has been completed, while the second phase covering 751 hectares is currently underway.
“The government targets the development of KSIGN across 2,000 hectares. To achieve this target, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has completed the first stage of development covering 616 hectares in Rote Ndao Regency and is currently undertaking the second stage of 751 hectares,” he noted.
The completed first-phase land is now entering the production trial phase. The government aims for the first harvest from the 616-hectare area to take place in November 2026.
“At this time, the KKP is also conducting production trials on the 616 hectares of land that has been completed, with the target for the first harvest in November 2026,” Qodari explained.
The scale of development in Rote Ndao is significantly larger when considering the entire area designated as a national priority work programme location, with the total area for development reaching approximately 10,764 hectares.
From this total area, the government will not take full control of land management. Approximately 2,000 hectares will be developed by the KKP through a land utilisation cooperation scheme involving local community-owned land.