Growth Area to spur development

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.
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