New provinces vow better policy to lure investors<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Regional administrations of newly established
\nprovinces Banten, Gorontalo, and Bangka Belitung pledged to
\nformulate a better investment policy to compete with other
\nprovinces in attracting investors.<\/p>\n
Johni Triana, the head of the Banten province Economic and
\nDevelopment Board said that the current administration was still
\nmapping out potential sectors for investment along with examining
\nits problems.<\/p>\n
\"We have to make a careful study so that our investment policy
\nprovides business assurance for investors,\" he said in a seminar
\non the investment prospects of the three provinces held by
\nHarvest International consulting firm in Jakarta on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Although Banten is much more advanced than the other two new
\nprovinces, the province still has to work harder to ensure that
\nit will be able to compete with more established provinces in
\nattracting investors.<\/p>\n
He said that Banten, formerly part of West Java province, had
\nto improve its roads especially in rural areas to encourage
\ninvestors to invest in the province's agricultural, mining and
\ntourism sectors.<\/p>\n
According to Johni, the province, which hosts several major
\nindustrial giants such as PT Krakatau Steel and PT Chandra Asri,
\nis also a strategic location for farming and mining activities.<\/p>\n
In addition to easy land transportation access from Jakarta
\nand Sumatra island, the province has several seaports and
\nairports.<\/p>\n
The Soekarno Hatta Airport, and the interisland seaports in
\nMerak, Cigading, Anyer, Bojonegara and Labuan are located in the
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
Compared to Banten, the two other new provinces, Gorontalo and
\nBangka Belitung seem to be less fortunate.<\/p>\n
Nelson Pomalingo, the head of Gorontalo province Regional
\nDevelopment Planning Board said infrastructure in the province
\nwas still inadequate to support business activities.<\/p>\n
The province has three interisland seaports and an airport
\nable to accommodate a 28-seat Fokker-28 aircraft but conditions
\nwere still far from perfect to fulfill investors' needs, he said.<\/p>\n
\"That's why the improvement of the seaports and airports are
\nour main priority. We hope they can be upgraded within two
\nyears,\" he told the seminar.<\/p>\n
Gorontalo, which became a province in February this year after
\nseparating from North Sulawesi province, has many things to offer
\nto investors.<\/p>\n
According to him the province is a good location for
\nagribusiness such as cocoa and coconut plantations. The province,
\nwhich has a 400-kilometer coastal area, is also good for tourism
\nand fishing activities.<\/p>\n
\"Several export-oriented companies operate in Gorontalo,\" he
\nsaid, adding that coconut oil and fish production sectors gave a
\nlarge contribution to the province's revenues,<\/p>\n
Meanwhile Amir Muchasim, Bangka Belitung Island's governor
\nsaid that the province's biggest problem was the lack of
\nelectricity supply.<\/p>\n
He said that the province, which was formed early this year
\nafter separating from South Sumatra, needed US$200 million to
\nbuild a new power plant.<\/p>\n
\"We have proposed the building of the power plant to state-
\nowned electricity company (PLN) but there is no response yet to
\nthe proposal,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He added that another concern of the administration was to
\nguarantee security in protecting ships from attacks by pirates
\nwho were widespread in the provinces seas.<\/p>\n
Bangka and Belitung, the world largest's tin producer, has
\ngreat economic potential.<\/p>\n
Amir said the province's coastal areas could be developed into
\ntourism sites while its productive land would be utilized for the
\ndevelopment of oil palm plantations.<\/p>\n
The province is supported by two seaports in Bangka, one in
\nBelitung, and two airports in Pangkalpinang, Bangka and in
\nTangjung Pandan, Belitung.<\/p>\n
Commenting on investment procedures, administration officials
\nin all three provinces said that they had established a special
\nboard to simplify procedures.<\/p>\n
The board will also provide incentives to encourage investors
\nto invest in the provinces. (05)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-provinces-vow-better-policy-to-lure-investors-1447893297",
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