Merriyanti Punguan, the Director of Forest and Plantation Products Industry in the Directorate General of Agro Industry at the Ministry of Industry, has stated that the national pulp and paper industry contributed to the trade surplus in 2022, amounting to USD 4.7 billion. She mentioned that it also contributed 4.17% to non-oil and gas exports or the equivalent of 3.99% of the non-oil and gas processing industry during the opening of the AllPack Indonesia and AllPrint Indonesia 2023 exhibition at JIExpo Kemayoran, Jakarta. In 2022, Merriyanti noted that the total exports of the pulp and paper industry reached USD 8.6 billion with a volume of 11.2 million tons. On the other hand, the pulp and paper industry had imports valued at USD 3.9 billion with a volume of 5.5 million tons. Merriyanti pointed out that the USD 4.7 billion surplus indicates the significant role of the national pulp and paper industry in the Indonesian economy.
Furthermore, she mentioned the national paper industry's ability to produce various types of paper, including special-grade papers like currency notes and valuable papers designed for enhanced security. Indonesia has even printed passports for other countries in the world. This is an advantage of our paper and printing industry products. To ensure the continuity of the production process, industrial development, and to enhance industry competitiveness, Merriyanti emphasized the government's commitment to provide ease of access to raw materials and industrial auxiliary materials, in line with the provisions of Law No. 2014 concerning Industry. It is worth noting that Putu Juli Ardika, the Director-General of Agro Industry at the Ministry of Industry, is targeting South Sumatra and Banten to become regions for the development of environmentally friendly packaging, including packaging based on paperboard materials. The targeted regions are currently in South Sumatra and also in Banten. Putu explained that the pulp used for paperboard-based packaging is not derived from deforestation or forest clearing. He stated that the pulp is sourced from dedicated plantations. One of Indonesia's strengths as a tropical country, according to Putu, is that it only takes 3-5 years for trees to mature and be ready for pulp production. In contrast, countries in subtropical regions require up to 12 years for the same process.
