Vice President Gibran Targets Rote Ndao Salt Project to Boost Local Welfare
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka emphasised that the development of the National Salt Industry Centre Zone (K-SIGN) in East Rote sub-district, Rote Ndao Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT), is a strategic project to support the national salt self-sufficiency target while also reducing dependence on imports.
During a visit to the salt pond area on Friday, Gibran said the national salt requirement, amounting to around 5 million tonnes per year, has not yet been fully met by domestic production.
‘This is our salt requirement per year, about 5 million tonnes. We cannot yet meet it, hence the project here is very important to fulfil domestic salt needs,’ Gibran said.
According to the Vice President, the salt development project in Rote Ndao forms part of the government’s broad focus on strengthening national food self-sufficiency as emphasised by the President.
Apart from pursuing the national salt production target, Gibran also asked that the industrial area be brought into use promptly so that the economic impact can be felt by the surrounding community.
‘We want this to be functional as soon as possible. We want to create as many job opportunities as possible, local residents to be helped, their welfare to increase, and the multiplier effect of this project to be truly felt by the people,’ he said.
Not only the salt sector, the Vice President also highlighted the significant potential of the seaweed sector and fishing villages in Rote Ndao. He ensured that proposals to strengthen fisheries infrastructure would be followed up with the relevant ministries.
According to Gibran, the productive fishing areas in Rote Ndao need supporting facilities such as cold storage, slurry ice plants, and even fishing-dedicated fuel stations to strengthen the distribution chain of catches.
‘There must be cold storage space in productive fishing areas, there should be cold storage, a slurry ice plant, and also fishing-dedicated fuel stations,’ he said.
During the visit, the Vice President also received reports on infrastructure conditions, health services, and the need to revitalise community health clinics (puskesmas) and upgrade regional hospitals in Rote Ndao.
He urged the local government to continue strengthening coordination with the relevant ministries so that the various needs of the community can be promptly addressed by the central government.