Minister Maman Wants West Kalimantan Commodities To Be Indonesia's New Export Mainstay

Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Maman Abdurrahman. (Ist)

JAKARTA - Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Maman Abdurrahman emphasized that a number of leading commodities in West Kalimantan (Kalbar) have a great opportunity to become Indonesia's new export motor.

This was conveyed by Maman during a dialogue with business actors and the West Kalimantan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the context of mapping the obstacles to export regional MSMEs.

According to Maman, West Kalimantan has great economic potential through local commodities such as krotoms, arowana fish, coconuts, crocodile tongue, and various derivative products. With proper management, these commodities can be a significant export driver for the regional economy.

"Together with the West Kalimantan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, we want to encourage MSMEs to advance to class through optimizing superior commodities that have the potential to become the locomotive of regional economic growth," he said in an official statement, Sunday, November 23.

Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that the export value of West Kalimantan in 2024 will reach US$2.086 billion or around Rp. 33.38 trillion. Meanwhile, in the period January to September 2025, the export value has exceeded US$1.422 billion or Rp. 22.76 trillion.

Through this workshop, continued Maman, the government carried out a comprehensive mapping of the challenges faced by MSME entrepreneurs, ranging from production capacity, product quality, access to financing, to the use of technology.

If the problem is financing, we will help connect with financial institutions. If the problem is technology, for example, the quality of a krotom product, we will support the standardization process in order to meet export requirements," he said.

Maman also emphasized the importance of strengthening production capacity and product standardization, expanding innovative access to financing, and increasing global market access through branding strategies, market intelligence, and more targeted export market penetration.

"Collaboration with the West Kalimantan Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a strategic bridge that connects MSMEs, large industries, offtakers, financing institutions, to local governments, so that the export supply chain can run consistently and sustainably," he said.

Meanwhile, West Kalimantan Governor Ria Norsan welcomed this initiative. He assessed that the regional export potential is very large and must be managed competitively according to international market needs.

"We have krotoms, arowana, coconuts and their derivatives, betel nut, as well as various typical products from Singkawang and other regions. This potential needs to be strengthened through standardization, capacity building, and strengthening branding to achieve the global market," he said.

Ria Norsan hopes that this synergy can open up more export opportunities while strengthening the position of West Kalimantan MSMEs in the international market.

According to the Chairman of the West Kalimantan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Arya Rizqi Darsono, this step is a real commitment of business actors in improving the economic welfare of the community.

"This is a form of strategic synergy to accelerate the economic growth of West Kalimantan," he said.