No Indonesian island owned by foreigners: minister
Batam (ANTARA News) - Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi said no island in Indonesia was owned by foreigners although a number were under foreign management.
"They only cooperate with us in developing the islands` economic potentials. None of our islands is onwed by foreigners," the minister said on the sidelines of a working meeting here on Thursday.
He said his ministry could not prevent or ban foreign investment from developing the economic potentials of small and outlying Indonesian islands.
"My ministry can only keep a watch on them so that they will not destroy the environment," the minister said.
He said foreigners who were developing an island in Indonesia were not allowed to deny local people access to the island.
The ministry had earlier found indications that the Pulau Bawa islands in the southern waters of Natuna district, Riau Islands province, had been sold to a foreign party for Rp1 billion.
But the minister said it was found in the ministry`s latest investigation that several isles in Natuna Islands were not owned but only being developed by foreigners.
In the meantime, Natuna District Head Daeng Rusnadi said five of the Pulau Bawah islands had been bought by a United States citizen, under the name of his driver, Tasfinardi, at the price of Rp1 billion.
He said that in order to anticipate illegal activities on the uninhabited island, the regional government of Natuna was building a helipad, a smallholer`s port and a ring road on it.
"We will also send people to reside on the island later on," the district head said adding the Indonesian Defense Forces` civic mission on Pulau Bawah island was also expected to make the island more lively.
Daeng said the Pulau Bawah islands enclosed a seabed so that they possessed rich undersea wealth which was not found in other islands of other places. (*)
"They only cooperate with us in developing the islands` economic potentials. None of our islands is onwed by foreigners," the minister said on the sidelines of a working meeting here on Thursday.
He said his ministry could not prevent or ban foreign investment from developing the economic potentials of small and outlying Indonesian islands.
"My ministry can only keep a watch on them so that they will not destroy the environment," the minister said.
He said foreigners who were developing an island in Indonesia were not allowed to deny local people access to the island.
The ministry had earlier found indications that the Pulau Bawa islands in the southern waters of Natuna district, Riau Islands province, had been sold to a foreign party for Rp1 billion.
But the minister said it was found in the ministry`s latest investigation that several isles in Natuna Islands were not owned but only being developed by foreigners.
In the meantime, Natuna District Head Daeng Rusnadi said five of the Pulau Bawah islands had been bought by a United States citizen, under the name of his driver, Tasfinardi, at the price of Rp1 billion.
He said that in order to anticipate illegal activities on the uninhabited island, the regional government of Natuna was building a helipad, a smallholer`s port and a ring road on it.
"We will also send people to reside on the island later on," the district head said adding the Indonesian Defense Forces` civic mission on Pulau Bawah island was also expected to make the island more lively.
Daeng said the Pulau Bawah islands enclosed a seabed so that they possessed rich undersea wealth which was not found in other islands of other places. (*)