Kupang – The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin NTT) held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) to explore opportunities and strategies for developing a Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in NTT.

The event, held at Wisma Alak, Kupang, on Tuesday (September 15, 2026), served as a platform for business stakeholders in NTT to exchange experiences with the Batam City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin Batam), the Riau Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and representatives of the Batam Indonesia Free Zone Authority (BP Batam).

Chairman of Kadin NTT Bobby Lianto said the FGD provided an opportunity to discuss NTT’s economic potential by leveraging the region’s geographical position as Indonesia’s southern gateway.

“This is a very blessed day for Kadin NTT as we are holding an FGD on the Free Trade Zone. This is very important for the business community,” Bobby said.

According to Bobby, in addition to helping MSMEs move up the value chain and attracting industries to the region, NTT needs to capitalize on its strategic position, sharing a direct border with Timor-Leste and being relatively close to Australia.

Bobby sees an opportunity to build economic connectivity through the Kupang-Dili-Darwin triangle, linking the business interests of Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and Australia.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity. We want to see how this strategic position can be leveraged to open up trade and investment opportunities,” he said.

Learning from Batam’s Experience

During the FGD, Kadin NTT invited representatives of Kadin Batam and BP Batam to share their experiences in developing trade and industrial zones.

Bobby said Batam’s experience was important for NTT to study, particularly with regard to challenges, regulations, infrastructure, and business readiness in developing a free trade zone.

“We listened to their experiences, the difficulties they faced, and the challenges involved. This is a valuable lesson for us as we prepare the FTZ concept for NTT,” he explained.

He added that Kadin NTT had established a Free Trade Zone Acceleration Task Force around two years ago. The task force was established to safeguard the interests of the business community and ensure that the FTZ agenda continues despite changes in regional government administrations.

“The interests of the business community must continue to be safeguarded. We want to achieve an economic leap, or a quantum leap in economic development, in NTT,” Bobby emphasized.

According to Bobby, the NTT Provincial Government has also established a working team and engaged consultants to prepare the FTZ concept. The target is to have a clearer concept by the end of this year regarding the direction and form of the proposed FTZ.

Targeting the Timor-Leste and Australian Markets

Bobby said Kadin NTT had continued to build communication with business communities in Timor-Leste and Australia over the past two years. He also visited Darwin around two months ago and is scheduled to welcome another delegation of businesspeople from the region in the near future.

“We continue to communicate with Timor-Leste and Australia. Therefore, the regulations that the government eventually introduces must be aligned and consistent with the needs of the business community,” he said.

With regard to Timor-Leste, Kadin NTT sees opportunities for trade cooperation by leveraging the country’s position as a Portuguese-speaking nation.

Meanwhile, engagement with Australia is being pursued through business networks such as the Australian Indonesian Business Council (AIBC) to identify opportunities in trade, investment, and other forms of cooperation.

Kadin NTT is also continuing to promote the establishment of direct air connectivity between Kupang and Dili, as well as Kupang and Darwin.

“Dili-Darwin already has a direct flight. We also hope that connectivity between Kupang-Dili and Kupang-Darwin can continue to be promoted,” he said.

Beyond trade, Bobby said cooperation with Darwin could also focus on several sectors, including education, tourism, sports, and healthcare.

Promoting a Kupang-Darwin Sister City Partnership

Kadin NTT is also initiating a Friendship City or Sister City partnership between Kupang and Darwin.

Bobby said discussions on the initiative were ongoing, with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Kupang City Government and the Darwin City Government expected to take place in the near future.

“We are currently initiating this. In the near future, we will also welcome guests from Darwin,” he said.

He cited the launch of AirAsia’s Malaysia-Labuan Bajo flight connectivity as an example of how improved connectivity can have an impact on economic and tourism activity.

“From this, we can see that when connectivity is opened, the impact can be tremendous. Kadin will continue working to create opportunities for the business community,” Bobby explained.

NTT Needs to Prepare Industry and Human Resources

Bobby emphasized that FTZ development is not merely about trade but must also create a direct impact on local communities, particularly through job creation.

Therefore, if industries enter NTT, the readiness and development of human resources must also be a key consideration.

“We hope that when industries come in, our human resources can also be developed. The community must benefit through employment opportunities,” he said.

He also noted that Batam’s experience demonstrates how the presence of industrial zones can create opportunities for the growth of various business sectors.

Kadin NTT, he added, will adapt the proposals and lessons learned from Batam to NTT’s own potential and commodities.

At the same time, the entry of large-scale industries is expected to support Kadin’s efforts to help local MSMEs move up the value chain, including through partnerships with industries that will eventually operate in NTT.

Kadin Batam Opens Opportunities for Collaboration

Meanwhile, Chairman of Kadin Batam Roma Nasir Hutabarat said his visit to Kupang, together with representatives of the Riau Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was part of an effort to explore opportunities for economic collaboration between Batam and NTT.

“We came to Kupang to see the city’s economic growth and explore whether there could be good collaboration between Batam and Kupang,” Roma said.

According to him, Kupang has a strategic geographical position due to its proximity to Timor-Leste and Australia. This creates opportunities for trade cooperation as well as industrial zone development.

Roma also shared Batam’s experience in developing its economy through the support of its geographical location, infrastructure, industrial zones, and free trade zone policies. He noted that Batam has 136 shipyards and around 33 industrial zones that form part of its industrial ecosystem.

According to Roma, one of the key factors in developing a trade zone is infrastructure readiness, including roads, ports, and airports.

“The first thing that needs to be ready is the infrastructure. Batam has developed with the support of its infrastructure and geographical location, as well as special economic zone and Free Trade Zone policies,” he explained.

He expressed hope that Batam’s experience could serve as a learning reference for NTT while also creating opportunities for cooperation among Kadin Batam, Kadin NTT, local governments, and BP Batam.

“This is indeed our first visit to Kupang. Hopefully, going forward, there will be opportunities for more concrete cooperation and collaboration,” he concluded.

Kadin NTT hopes that the FTZ discussion will open up more business and investment opportunities while supporting economic growth in NTT.