Synergy Among Institutions Needed to Boost Exports: Trade Minister

Good synergy between Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises can boost Indonesia’s exports, according to Minister of Trade Muhammad Luffi.

The Minister added that cooperation, coordination, and collaboration are keys to maintain the sustainability of economic growth.

Lutfi also said the cooperation is a milestone to ensure that Indonesia can have new exporters so that the economy will continue to be sustainable in the future.

The Minister made the statement during the release of agricultural product export worth Rp140 billion to twelve countries in the East Capital provincial capital of Surabaya, Friday (12/03/2021).

On that occasion, a number of agricultural commodities amounting to Rp140 billion that consist of 34 types of product, including Javanese beef ball pentol, swallow nests, animal feed, dried lizards, dried centipedes, cocoa powder, coffee beans, and cloves were shipped for export to the United States, Hong Kong, Timor Leste, Germany, Brunei Darussalam, Thailand, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Egypt, Singapore, and Bangladesh.

Minister of Trade also pointed out that East Java is a trading hub for intermediate goods or semi-finished products for eastern Indonesia, adding that his Ministry plans to establish an Export Center in Surabaya to ensure that Indonesian commodities can enter international markets.

Echoing a similar sentiment, Governor of East Java Khofifah Indar Parawansa expressed hope that an Export Center in Surabaya would be realized soon, adding that the province’s economic program POKJ can penetrate international markets and the community welfare will improve, especially in the province.

In the meantime, Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo added that synergy between ministries must be improved because it was a strategic step to rebuild national economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

On that occasion, three Ministers also handed over a health certificate (HC) and a phytosanitary certificate (PC) to exporters, including feed mill company PT Sinar Indochem, swallow’s nests company PT Organic Hans Jaya, agribusiness company PT Cargill Indonesia.

For the record, Agriculture Quarantine Agency of Ministry of Agriculture has reported that 81.3 thousand tons of agricultural products or worth Rp1.26 trillion have been exported until March this year.

These commodities consist of food crops amounting 8.5 thousand tons or worth Rp125.8 billion (9.95 percent), horticulture products amounting 487.9 tons or worth Rp47 billion (3.71 percent), plantation products amounting 72.2 thousand tons or worth Rp997. 3 billion (78.9 percent), and livestock products amounting 27.8 thousand tons or worth Rp94 billion (7.43 percent). (HUMAS KEMENDAG/UN) (AP/EP)