The Director General of Domestic Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Isy Karim, has emphasized the significant potential of West Papua Province in national trade and tourism. Isy explained that West Papua is rich in agricultural and forest products. Additionally, the province offers a diverse range of tourism products, from underwater attractions to forests and mountains. According to data from the Ministry of Trade, West Papua's economic growth in the first quarter of 2023 reached 3.13% annually. The regional gross domestic product (GDP) is mainly contributed by the food and beverage processing industry, accounting for 29.56%. This is followed by mining and excavation at 18.98%, and construction at 11.71%.
Isy highlighted that in March 2023, the largest export value in West Papua came from the oil and gas sector, reaching 276.31 million US dollars, accounting for 98.89% of the total exports. Non-oil and gas exports amounted to 3.09 million US dollars. China was the main destination for West Papua's exports, contributing 171.51 million US dollars or 61.38% of the total. Therefore, Isy emphasized the need to promote West Papua, especially through the National Movement of Proud Indonesian Products and Proud Indonesian Tourism. These initiatives aim to showcase the country's micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and support their growth, providing them with wider marketing opportunities. Additionally, there are ample opportunities for tourism development in the region.
