The agency's Director of Fish Quarantine Actions, Wahyu Widodo, remarked that the Indonesian government launched the Merdeka Ekspor (Independent Export) in an effort to recover the country's economic conditions.
"The program is a genuinely relevant strategy. In an increasingly globalized world, export is no longer an option, as it has become an absolute necessity for Indonesia to ensure the sustainability of its economy," he remarked in Padang, West Sumatra, on Friday.
Widodo explained that the national program serves as a testament to the government's commitment to shooting up exports with the goal of boosting the competitiveness of Indonesia's products in international markets.
"The government also aims for consistency in products' quality while ensuring adequate supplies," he added.
Furthermore, he expressed belief that the optimal implementation of the Merdeka Ekspor Program would lead to direct economic benefits for provinces, districts, and cities across the country.
Speaking of West Sumatra specifically, Widodo noted that the IQA had observed that the province possesses huge potential to reap more benefits from the exports of fishery products, such as fish, prawns, lobsters, and crabs.
Citing data, he said the value of grouper fish exports from West Sumatra to Hong Kong crossed Rp60 billion (US$3.9 million) as of June 2024. On that note, he encouraged the West Sumatra provincial government to continue optimizing the province's fishery potential.
"On average, West Sumatra can export grouper fish to Hong Kong twice to thrice in a year," he stated.
Earlier, on Thursday (August 22), West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi Ansharullah stated that the province had sent another export consignment of grouper fish to Hong Kong, weighing 11 tons in total, with the value reaching Rp2 billion (US$129 thousand).
He said that in West Sumatra, the export was carried out as an implementation of the Merdeka Ekspor Program, adding that his side would aim for an export of 15 tons of grouper fish in the next batch.
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Translator: Muhammad Z, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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