Siti Hediati Soeharto urges seaweed downstreaming in Indonesia

Siti Hediati Soeharto, Chair of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives, has called for improved seaweed processing and streamlined bureaucracy for the fisheries sector. During a working visit to Badung, Bali, she addressed complaints from small and medium enterprises regarding overlapping permit processes between the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and the Indonesian Quarantine Agency.

Soeharto emphasized the need for industrial downstreaming, noting that Indonesia currently exports much of its seaweed as raw materials or extracts. She pointed out that products like organic liquid fertilizer, made from these extracts, are often processed abroad—such as in India—and then re-imported to Indonesia. She urged the government to focus on producing end products domestically to increase economic value and align with national downstreaming policies.