The provincial governments of Kepulauan Riau (Kepri) and Jawa Timur (East Java) are reinforcing inter-regional ties through a trade and investment mission that has run regularly for several years and brought significant results. The meeting between Kepri’s Governor Ansar Ahmad and East Java’s Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa was held at the Ballroom of Wyndham Hotel Panbil Batam on Monday (8 December 2025) under the theme “Strengthening Connectivity Network between East Java Province and Kepulauan Riau Province.” Governor Ansar highlighted that the trade missions have generated more than IDR 307 billion in transactions, mostly commodities from East Java used in Kepri. Only about IDR 52 billion came from industrial goods and flagship products of Kepri — a condition considered natural, given that Kepri has only 1.9% land area and 88.1% sea.
Because of limited land, most staple needs of Kepri’s population are still supplied from other provinces, especially East Java. Commodities such as rice, chili peppers (fresh and dried), sugar, and others largely depend on East Java, known as a major producer of agricultural, plantation, livestock, and processed-goods industries in Indonesia. Governor Ansar further noted that this mission came at a timely moment, as flooding in several parts of Sumatra had recently affected commodity supply to Kepri — especially from North and West Sumatra. With Kepri heavily depending on external supplies for daily needs (e.g., eggs, vegetables, fruits), ensuring smooth distribution is crucial, especially since Kepulauan Riau remains a leading international tourism destination. He expressed hope that cooperation between East Java and Kepri will expand beyond basic needs trade to include SMEs, industry, and tourism. He urged relevant regional departments to map out essential needs and commodities so that future cooperation can be more targeted and optimal.
