A farmer shows wet and dried seaweed in Southeast Sulawesi on March 19, 2023. (Antara Photo/Jojon)

JakartaGlobe-Mar 22

Indonesia has plans to expand its downstream industry policy, in which it focuses on processing its raw materials for higher added value, into the marine sector.

Indonesia has set a goal to become a global maritime superpower by its centennial in 2045. The world’s largest archipelagic country is working towards that goal, among others, by developing the downstream marine industry.

According to Chief Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, despite the immense marine wealth, Indonesia’s blue economy potential remains largely untapped.  The so-called blue economy today is still not contributing as much to the national gross domestic product (GDP). The maritime economy only contributed approximately 7.6 percent to the national GDP in 2021. The sector’s GDP only grew by 2.04 percent in 2021, far below the national GDP growth of 3.69 percent, data shows. According to the ministry’s data, the development of the marine processing industry stands at 4.13 percent. The figures only reach 0.74 percent for the ship manufacturing and maintenance industry. “The development of our marine industry and also the downstream within the marine sector have only reached 4 percent. There are still so many things that we can work on if we want, but let’s walk the talk. Do not just criticize things. We need to come up with innovations,” Luhut told a recent maritime forum in Jakarta. A high-potential marine resource for the downstream industry policy is seaweed.  Read more at:

https://jakartaglobe.id/business/not-just-mining-indonesia-to-build-downstream-marine-industry