Hanoi (VNA) – IndonesianPresident Joko Widodo on April 1 inaugurated three special economic zones(SEZs) covering 2,200 ha of land in the provinces of East Kalimantan, NorthSulawesi, and North Maluku in a bid to attract investment and spur economicgrowth in less-developed areas of the country.
Speaking at the launching ceremony inManado, North Sulawesi, President Widodo expressed his hope that the SEZs willpromote manufacturing and other industries, thus enabling the country to exportproducts with higher added values beyond raw materials.
According to Indonesia’sCoordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs,the government aims to lure 110 trillion IDR (about 7.73 billion USD) into the threeSEZs and create 120,000 new jobs by 2025.
Those who invest in the SEZs will enjoy incentives related to import taxes,land, and recruitment.
The Indonesian government noted that acombined 5.24 trillion IDR (about 367 million USD) in investment commitments havebeen pledged for the SEZs so far.–VNA