Papua Province seeks more direct exports

The Papua Provincial Government hopes that there will be direct export activities to destination countries of Papua Province's exports so that new job opportunities could be created and greater added value for business actors, especially in the industrial and trade sectors.

Papua Province Regional Secretariat Economy and Development Assistant Setyo Wahyudi stated in Jayapura Regency, Papua on Feb. 19, 2025, that Papua has superior commodities that can be exported, such as fish, coffee, chocolate, and several handicraft products.

"The potential for direct export already exists and Papua Province has also carried out export activities several times, but it was indirect," he said.

Therefore, said Setyo, it is hoped that business actors will continue to improve the quality of these superior products while waiting for the Indonesian government and related agencies which are steadily starting to make improvements so that direct shipments can be made to the destination country.

"Only wood has been what was routinely exported. In the future fish will follow, then chocolate and coffee," he said.

Setyo explained that encouraging direct exports is not easy, as it must require collaboration and consistency from the product itself. Hence, the encouragement for export is a shared task so that their continuance can be maintained properly.

Meanwhile, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) Papua Province Head Adriana Helena Carolina said that Papua's exports dropped 75.3 percent month-to-month (mtm) from around US$13.72 million in December 2024 to around US$3.39 million in January 2025

"Judging from the type of [export] activity in January 2025, [the exports] was mostly non-oil and gas exports worth US$3,39 million consisting of exports of Wood & Wood Products (HS44) worth US$3.06 million US dollars and US$325,260 of other non-oil and gas exports," she revealed.

Adriana added that the four largest export destination countries for Papua are Australia with nearly US$2.75 million, or 81.09 percent of the province's total exports, then New Zealand with US$411,970 or 12.15 percent, Papua New Guinea with US$229,040 or 6.76 percent, and Saudi Arabia with about US$100.

"And cumulatively, Papua's total exports in January 2025 were US$3,39 million or an increase of 50.52 percent compared to the total exports in January 2024 which were worth US$2.25 million," she concluded.