Growth Triangle preparations go forth<\/p>\n
MEDAN (JP): The third ministerial meeting on the Indonesia,
\nMalaysia and Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) project ended here
\nyesterday with an accord to eliminate the remaining obstacles to
\nthe tri-partite economic cooperation as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Industry and Trade Hartarto who led
\nthe Indonesian delegation to the talks said yesterday the a
\nnumber of barriers remain to further development, although he was
\noptimistic they will eventually overcome.<\/p>\n
Hartarto added that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) had
\nreported to the meeting the conclusion of its study that IMT-GT
\nis a viable project for development.<\/p>\n
\"The final feasibility report by ADB will be completed in
\nJuly. In the meantime the three countries have also agreed to
\nencourage private businessmen to set up joint ventures and other
\nforms of economic cooperation.<\/p>\n
He said that under the agreed minutes signed by him,
\nMalaysia's Chief Minister Perlis Abdul Hamid Pawanteh and
\nThailand's Deputy Prime Minister Supachai Panitchpakdi, the
\ncooperation programs will be discussed further in the fourth
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
\"There are several obstacles to economic cooperation related
\nto customs, border-crossing visas and cross-border trade that
\nhave yet to be resolved. That's why we should set some
\ninstitutional reforms,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Hartarto, business cooperation in the growth
\ntriangle will include five projects in trade, agriculture and
\nfisheries, industry and energy, tourism, telecommunications and
\ntransportation.<\/p>\n
\"The three countries agreed that tourism would be the leading
\nsector in developing the growth triangle areas,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The meeting held at Tiara Convention Center, was also
\nattended by Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto and
\nMinister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave,
\nGovernor of Aceh Samsuddin Machmud and Governor of North Sumatra
\nRaja Inal Siregar.<\/p>\n
Joop concurred that tourism indeed is one of the leading
\nsectors in the growth triangle as the industry is easy to
\ndevelop, while the supporting infrastructures are already in
\nplace.<\/p>\n
\"We will invite Indonesia's Merpati Nusantara Airlines,
\nMandala, Sempati or Bouraq and Malaysia's Pelangi Air to link up
\nthe growth triangle areas,\" Haryanto said.<\/p>\n
The growth triangle concept links northwestern Malaysia's
\nPenang and Kedah, the southern Thai provinces of Satun, Songkha,
\nYala, Narathiwat and Pattani, and North Sumatra and Aceh in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
There have been 11 cooperation agreements signed between
\ncompanies from the three countries, including those in specialist
\nhospital in Medan, television broadcasting, land bridge inter-
\nconnections, power, sea-links and meat importing.<\/p>\n
The IMT-GT will be the second triangle agreement to be
\nestablished by members of the Association of Southeast Asian
\nNations (ASEAN) after the Sijori Triangle, comprising Riau in
\nIndonesia, Singapore and Johor in Malaysia.<\/p>\n
ASEAN's members are Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei and
\nthe Philippines. Manila has also invited Brunei, Indonesia and
\nMalaysia to establish another growth area.<\/p>\n
The idea for IMT-GT was initially developed last July in
\nLangkawi island in Malaysia. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has
\nagreed to provide US$1.4 million in a technical assistance grant
\nfor a long-term study on the project.<\/p>\n
The fourth meeting on the IMT-GT programs will be held on
\nSept. 28 in Penang, Malaysia. (rmn\/icn)<\/p>",
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