Vice-President: Salt development in Rote Ndao supports national needs

Kupang (ANTARA) – Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, while inspecting the Kawasan Sentra Industri Garam Nasional (K-SIGN) in East Rote District, Rote Ndao Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, said that salt development in Rote Ndao plays a strategic role in supporting national needs.

During his remarks in Rote Ndao on Friday, he emphasised that the national demand for salt, which runs at around 5 million tonnes per year, cannot yet be fully met by domestic production.

‘This is our annual salt requirement of about 5 million tonnes. We have not yet been able to meet that; that is why the project here is very important in order to meet domestic salt needs. Because the President is committed to food self-sufficiency, salt is one of the areas,’ he said.

In addition to supporting self-sufficiency, the Vice-President stressed the importance of accelerating the area’s operational readiness so that its economic benefits can be felt by local communities soon.

‘We want this to become functional as soon as possible. We want to create as many jobs as possible, so that local residents are helped, their welfare improves, and most importantly the multiplier effect of the construction of this project can be felt. So it is not just on paper but truly experienced by the people living here,’ he added.

Beyond the salt sector, the Vice-President also considered the potential for seaweed development and the fishermen’s village in Rote Ndao. Responding to proposals from the local government, he assured that the needs supporting fishermen’s activities would be followed up together with the relevant ministries.

‘So we want, in the places proposed by the Regent, productive fishing areas to have refrigeration space, cold storage, a slurry ice factory and, later, a dedicated fishermen’s fuel station,’ the Vice-President explained.

In the dialogue, the Vice-President also received reports on infrastructure, education, and health in Rote Ndao, including the need for revitalising community health centres (puskesmas) and improving regional hospital facilities.

In response, he asked for strengthened coordination with the relevant ministries so that the public’s needs can be promptly acted upon by the central government.

Rote Ndao Regent Paulus Henuk expressed hope that the strategic project would bring direct benefits to the community, particularly residents affected by the salt-pond development. He emphasised that the regional government stands ready to fully support central government programmes that positively affect welfare.

‘He wants to ensure that central government attention through the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), which has allocated a substantial budget, can be implemented well so that the people of Rote Ndao, especially those affected by K-SIGN, can enjoy the outcomes of this development,’ he said.

Also present on the VP’s working visit were East Nusa Tenggara Governor Melki Laka Lena, the Director General of Maritime Resource Management A. Koswara, and Nindya Karya’s President Director Firmansyah.