Interested in Investing in Transmigration Areas, China Energy Ready to Employ 5,000 Local Residents
The Ministry of Transmigration is opening up investment cooperation opportunities in the energy sector with the global company China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC), which has the potential to create thousands of jobs for local communities in transmigration areas, including one in the Batam Rempang Galang Transmigration Zone (Barelang). This was conveyed during an audience between Transmigration Minister M. Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara and Vice President of CEEC Southeast Asia Regional Headquarters, Jin Bin, in Jakarta on Friday, 6 March 2026.
Minister Iftitah emphasised that investments entering transmigration areas must provide direct impacts for the community, particularly through job creation and enhancement of human resource capacity. “We welcome investment plans that can absorb a large number of local workers. Our principle is simple: investments entering must provide real benefits for the community,” said Iftitah.
Minister Iftitah explained that the government is currently organising the Rempang area as a new integrated economic growth centre. The area is planned to be developed into a modern industrial city covering approximately 8,000 hectares.
As part of the development of the area, the government is also building various supporting infrastructure, from fishing docks and cold storage facilities to the Patriot Campus, which will serve as a centre for education and workforce training for communities in the transmigration areas. “We are preparing the Patriot Campus as a distance learning campus from partner universities as well as a workforce training centre that can support the needs of industries entering the area,” he stated.
In the meeting, CEEC expressed interest in exploring investments in several areas, including transmigration zones. The global energy company, which ranks among the world’s top 500 companies, stated its commitment to prioritising the absorption of local labour in every project developed.
Vice President of CEEC Southeast Asia Regional Headquarters, Mr. Jin Bin, said that Indonesia is one of the strategic investment destinations for the company, which has operated in more than 147 countries. “We see Indonesia as one of our main investment destinations. We have also visited Rempang Island and are studying investment opportunities in the area,” said Mr. Jin Bin.
CEEC has been present in Indonesia since 1994 and to date has carried out more than 100 projects with a total contract value of around 7 billion USD, mainly in the power generation and energy infrastructure sectors. Various projects completed include steam power plants, hydropower, and solar power.
According to Mr. Jin Bin, the planned investments have the potential to absorb a large number of workers. In every project, the company targets employing up to 5,000 workers, with a composition prioritising Indonesian local workers.
“The ratio of workers we plan is one worker from China for every ten local Indonesian workers. We want to ensure that the investments we make also provide real benefits for the community,” he said.
In addition to opening job opportunities, CEEC also expressed readiness to support workforce capacity building through training programmes that can be synergised with training facilities in the transmigration areas. Minister Iftitah affirmed that the government is currently coordinating with various parties, including BP Batam, to ensure that the investment process in the Rempang area can proceed in a conducive and sustainable manner.
According to him, an investment approach that prioritises community empowerment is very important to avoid social conflicts that occurred in the area several years ago. “If investments can become a solution for the community through jobs, then community support will also be stronger,” said Minister Iftitah.