The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) is providing investment opportunities in the development of the National Salt Industry Center Area (K-SIGN) in Rote Ndao Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. This area is designed as a pilot for the development of the national salt industry in order to achieve the salt self-sufficiency target by 2027, as mandated in Presidential Regulation No. 17 of 2025. Rote Ndao is considered to have the potential for land covering more than 10,000 hectares with a supportive climate, including a long dry season for six to seven months per year. Its geographical characteristics are similar to world-class salt producing areas such as Dampier, Australia. KKP is targeting land productivity to reach 200 tons per hectare per cycle.
K-SIGN will be managed in an integrated manner involving the central government, local governments, BUMN such as PT Garam, and private investors. The business model offered includes pond management, construction of production facilities, warehouses, washing plants, refineries, and connected distribution systems. "This is a concrete form of government support for the national salt industry," said the Director General of Marine Management of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Koswara in an official broadcast (18/6). Koswara added that this area will also become a center for the development of high-value salt downstreaming. The K-SIGN project is estimated to be able to absorb up to 26,000 workers. In addition, this project is expected to reduce dependence on salt imports, which currently still reaches more than 2.5 million tons per year for the needs of the chemical and food industries. Previously, the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, had kicked off the development of K-SIGN in Matasio Village, Rote Ndao Regency, in early June 2026. The development of this salt industry center uses an integrated extensification approach, including the construction of modern ponds, storage and processing facilities, as well as institutional arrangements and production cooperation.
