BP Batam Receives 51 Foreign Investment Proposals

Batam, Riau Islands, July 14 (Antara Kepri) - The Batam Management Board (BP Batam) received investment proposals from 51 foreign firms and joint venture companies in the first semester of 2013 to invest US$77.28 million in the Batam free trade zone.

"BP Batam has given them until three years to realize their investment plans. Every six months we will evaluate them to see the extent of their seriousness," the head of the BP Batam's public relations and publication sub-directorate, Ilham Eka Hartawan said in Batam on Sunday.

Ilham said most of the investors planned to invest in the shipbuilding yard, oil and gas supporting industry, trade service, construction service, bio ethanol industry, lubricant oil processing industry, and power generators.

"The oil and gas supporting industry and shipbuilding yard are among the most attractive sectors," he said.

The investors mostly came from China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, the United States, and European countries, he said.

"Actually, our target is to attract investors from Asian countries which have good economic growth but it turns out that many investors from other regions are also interested in investing in Batam," he said.

Ilham said a number of foreign and joint venture companies have begun realizing their investment plans in Batam in 2013.

He said BP Batam has begun prioritizing green industries as part of efforts to use natural resources in a sustainable way.

"The promotion policy of BP Batam is currently directed towards luring low water consumption industries such as information technology company to preserve the environment in Batam," he said.

Through the segment, target, position (STP) strategy, BP Batam no longer eyed on industries which consume large quantities of water such as textile industry, palm oil industry, and the like, he said. (Suharto)