Agricom.id, SURABAYA - Free Trade Agreement (FTA) could be the access to increase the export value in the domestic. It would make the goods or service trade among the countries pass through other countries without tariff and non-tariff barriers.

Head of Balai Besar Karantina Pertanian (BBKP), Surabaya, Musyaffak Fauzi thought that the agreement should be supported by the policy so that the exporters could easily process the certificate/quarantine health certificate so that the agriculture sectors could contribute more to the macro economy.

“Karantina Pertanian Surabaya published many policies to ease the exporters to get their certificates or process their health quarantine certificate,” he said in Surabaya, Thursday (27/8/2020) as in the official written statement to Agricom.id.

The data from IQFAST (Indonesia Quarantine Full Automation System) revealed that there were increasing exports of agricultural commodities through Karantina Pertanian Surabaya in January – July 2020 for about 10 percent compared to the same period in last year (y to y).

"The data from central bureau of statistic also noted that the agricultural sectors increased 16,24 percent (q to q) in the second quarter of 2020," he said.

Besides, Musyaffak continued, FTA would support the exports from East Java to increase. It is better that the people understand about the FTA and its implication to the exports among the countries as the FTA partners in Surabaya.

“The countries in FTA would be the economic cooperation which makes every section in the man’s life develop, including the trade,” he said.

In the other place, Head of Badan Karantina Pertanian, Ministry of Agriculture, Ali Jamil said that Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo keeps prioritizing to increase the exports. This is the same with Gerakan Tiga Kali Ekspor Pertanian (Gratieks) program. It is about to increase the farmers’ welfare and the economy nationally.

“Ministry of Agriculture through Badan Karantina Pertanian keeps supporting the exports as the ways to increase the added values or income both for the farmers and the agri-businessmen in the limited situation because of Covid-19 pandemic,” he said. (A2)