Indonesia Develops National Salt Industry Centre in NTT, Aiming to Halt Imports by 2029
The government is targeting the development of the National Salt Industry Centre (K-SIGN) in Rote Ndao, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), covering an area of 2,000 hectares. The first phase of development, spanning 616 hectares, has been completed by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), with the second phase covering 751 hectares currently underway.
“The development of the National Salt Industry Centre in Rote Ndao is also part of the effort to ensure even development in NTT. This priority programme is expected to drive economic growth, provide employment, and alleviate poverty in the region,” said the Head of the Government Communications Agency (Bakom RI), Muhammad Qodari, during a press conference at the Bakom RI office in Central Jakarta on Wednesday.
Qodari stated that the development of the 2,000-hectare area is being implemented by the KKP through a land-use cooperation scheme involving local communities. Residents will reap economic benefits through profit-sharing from the utilisation of the land.
Currently, the KKP is conducting production trials on 616 hectares of land, with the first harvest targeted for November 2026.
Overall, the development of Rote as a location for the National Priority Work Programme (PKPN) encompasses an area of approximately 10,764 hectares. In addition to the 2,000 hectares being developed by the KKP, around 8,000 hectares of the area will be developed by investors.
Qodari emphasised that the development of K-SIGN is part of the government’s efforts to achieve salt self-sufficiency. The government aims to gradually increase national salt production from a baseline of approximately 1 million tonnes to 2.5 million tonnes in 2026, 3.5 million tonnes in 2027, and 5 million tonnes by 2029, at which point imports will be halted.
“In line with this, salt import volumes are targeted to decrease from a baseline of approximately 2.6 million tonnes to 2 million tonnes in 2026, 1 million tonnes in 2027, and eventually reach zero by 2029, as part of the effort to achieve national salt self-sufficiency,” he said.
Qodari noted that the investment value for the development of the 2,000-hectare K-SIGN in Rote Ndao is estimated to reach IDR 2 trillion. This includes the construction of salt ponds and supporting infrastructure such as roads, storage and processing facilities, pumps, and other essential facilities.
In the initial stage, the KKP is implementing an open salt pond method using geomembranes or high-density polyethylene (HDPE) to enhance both the quantity and quality of the salt. Alongside this, the KKP is preparing plans for gradual technological modernisation through collaboration with various parties, including the use of renewable energy such as solar power plants (PLTS).
“The development of K-SIGN Rote Ndao is expected to increase the income of salt farmers by improving productivity, quality, and the added value of salt, while simultaneously expanding the involvement of local communities in the salt industry value chain,” he concluded.