Growth Area to spur development

BALIKPAPAN, East Kalimantan: East Kalimantan Deputy Governor Suwarna hopes that the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines - East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) will spur further development in the area and create stronger regional cooperation.

Speaking at Monday's opening of the seventh senior officials meeting of the BIMP-EAGA, Suwarna admitted that the cooperation has not yet produced any significant economic results.

However, he argued that such cooperation schemes were an important step in creating a strong and stable cohesion among members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

About 300 participants have been attending the three-day meeting.

Meanwhile, the coordinator of BIMP-EAGA, Haryanto Dhanutirto, said that the subregional cooperation has potential for the tourism industry which would attract investment and, in turn, boost economic growth in the area.

Haryanto, who is also Indonesian Minister of Transportation, made the remark at the opening of a tourism, trade and investment fair which accompanied the senior officials meeting.

Speaking to the delegation leaders -- Brunei's Pehin Dato Abdul Rahman, Malaysia's Tun Daim Zainuddin and the Philippines' Paul G. Dominguez -- Haryanto added that one of the advantages of tourism development is its capability to absorb many workers.

The chairman of the Indonesian delegation, Patmosukismo, said that one of the agendas in the BIMP-EAGA meeting was to establish an East ASEAN Business Council.

Through such an entity, business information exchanges between member countries could be expected to become more efficient. (42/10)