Governors propose industrial zones

KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: Southeast Sulawesi Governor Ali Mazi and Gorontalo Governor Fadel Mohammad have proposed the establishment of industrial zones in Sulawesi in order to attract investors and spur development on the island.

Fadel, who currently chairs the Sulawesi Regional Development Cooperation Agency (BKPRS), explained during a function recently in Kendari that Sulawesi was the fourth largest island in Indonesia, with an area extending to 201,431 square kilometers and 15,287,000 inhabitants. Unfortunately, 21.92 percent of Sulawesi's population was officially classified as poor.

The proposal is now awaiting endorsement by the governors of the other three provinces on the island -- South Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi and North Sulawesi. -- JP