Interregional Cooperation Coordination Meeting across Sumatra

On Wednesday, August 13, 2026, the Head of BPS-Statistics Sumatera Utara Province, Asim Saputra, participated as one of the speakers at the Interregional Cooperation Coordination Meeting across Sumatra, held at Hotel Santika Premiere Dyandra in Medan. The event was attended by heads and leaders of various institutions and agencies, government bureaus, and regional government officials from provinces across Sumatra Island.

The event was officially opened by the Acting Regional Secretary of Sumatera Utara Province, Sulaiman Harahap, representing the Governor of Sumatera Utara. The meeting was held over two days, August 12–13, 2026.

In his remarks, Sulaiman conveyed the Governor of Sumatera Utara’s message that Sumatra is not merely a region with abundant potential, but has become one of the main engines of Indonesia’s national economy. Interregional collaboration is essential to connect regional strengths, create greater value added, and develop an increasingly competitive region.

In his presentation, Asim delivered a presentation entitled “Economic Outlook of Sumatra Island.” He explained that the economy of Sumatra grew by 5.06 percent in the second quarter of 2026, higher than the growth recorded during the same period in 2025. Sumatra was also the second-largest contributor to Indonesia’s GDP after Java, accounting for 22.50 percent of the national economy. The agriculture and manufacturing sectors were the largest contributors to Sumatra’s economy.

The meeting is expected to serve as part of the preparation and participation of all provinces in Sumatra in the working group for the implementation of the 32nd Ministerial Meeting (MM) of the Indonesia–Malaysia–Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) in 2026. Furthermore, the meeting is expected to strengthen synergy and collaboration among regional governments across Sumatra in optimizing regional potential, enhancing regional competitiveness, and promoting sustainable regional economic growth.