PORTALJABAR, DISTRICT. GARUT - Acting Regent of Garut Barnas Adjidin attended the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) Feasibility Study of the Tobacco Products Industry Center (SIHT) organized by the West Java Province Department of Industry and Trade (Disperindag), in the Ballroom of the Harmoni Hotel, Garut Regency, Friday (15/ 3/2024).

The event aims to discuss increasing tobacco production in Garut Regency, which is the largest tobacco producing area in West Java.

As the largest tobacco producing area in West Java Province, the Acting Regent hopes that it will not only be the basic ingredients but the finished ingredients.

"Well then, the West Java Provincial Government in Trade and Industry has activities to create a tobacco industry center, that's it, and it is planned to be built in 2025," he said.

Barnas expressed his hope that the plan to build a Tobacco Products Industrial Center in Garut Regency can run smoothly and have a positive impact on the local community. He also emphasized his support for the construction of the center.

Barnas said that later in this center there will be several industries that will develop the quality of their tobacco products, starting from the taste, grade and processing of the tobacco so that it can later be sold.

"Now we are discussing the preparations so that when they are implemented, whether they are settled or not," he said.

Head of the West Java Province Department of Industry and Trade, Noneng Komara Nengsih, revealed that West Java Province plays a role of 28% of industry in Indonesia, one of which is the tobacco industry.

"In fact, BAPPENAS wants 2045 when Indonesia's gold will be 48% of West Java's industrial sector. So, yes, there is a lot of homework, sir, one of which is perhaps what we will do together, Mr. Regent, we will create a center, perhaps this is the first in West Java," he said.

The reason his party chose Garut Regency as the place to establish the Tobacco Products Industrial Center was because Garut Regency is the largest tobacco producing area in West Java Province, with a tobacco distribution map area of around 4,105 hectares. Therefore, it is hoped that the existence of this center will increase regional income.

"Of course we also ask for encouragement from the Ministry of Industry to facilitate the establishment of this center, and of course from ladies and gentlemen from Customs and Excise," he said.

Head of the Garut Department of Industry, Trade, Energy and Mineral Resources (Disperindag ESDM), Ridwan Effendi, explained that Garut Regency already has 12 tobacco product processing companies, each of which has a brand, including Mencos, Bola Dunia, and others, which will contribute to increasing production quality.

"So it's not just cultivation and then harvesting, we have started processing tobacco products and in Garut, thank God, we have almost 12 companies that process tobacco products," he said.