Foreign firms enter Biak

JAKARTA (JP): A consortium of Malaysian and German companies will develop rice, sago and oil palm plantations on a one million hectare plot in the Integrated Economic Development Zone (Kapet) of Biak, Irian Jaya.

Chief executive of Kapet's management board, Frans de Wanna, said on Tuesday the consortium, PT Dato Enterprise, was among eight new investors to open business in the Kapet area.

He said 10 other national and multinational companies with past experience of investment in other parts of the province also obtained licenses to operate in the Kapet area.

"The eight new investors will start their projects after the June elections."

He said the board was currently evaluating proposals from seven prospective investors interested in the Kapet area.

Kapet Biak, established by former president Soeharto in January last year, covers the five districts of Biak-Numfor, Yapen Waropen, Manokwari, Nabire and Mimika.

Frans said the Malaysian-German consortium would open its plantation in Nabire.

An American joint venture is ready to open a huge fish freezing factory in Biak, he added, and a subsidiary of the local Djajanti Group was licensed to expand its Biak fish cannery worth at least US$70 million. (cst)