KEK Records Investment of IDR 336 Trillion and Hires 249,000 Workers

Rupiah (Photo: between)

JAKARTA - The Special Economic Zone (KEK) is increasingly showing its important role as one of the government's strategic instruments in encouraging investment and creating jobs in Indonesia.

Acting Secretary General of the National Council of KEK Rizal Edwin Manansang, said that since it was first developed in 2012 and from a total of 25 KEKs spread across various regions, it has recorded cumulative investment of Rp. 336 trillion with the absorption of 249 thousand people.

Currently, a total of 407 business entities and business actors have operated in the 25 KEKs, consisting of 13 industrial KEKs, 6 tourism KEKs, 2 health KEKs, 2 education and technology KEKs, 1 digital KEK, and 1 KEK that operates in other service sectors, namely aircraft maintenance.

"Until 2025 cumulatively, KEK has generated a total investment of IDR 336 trillion, which comes from 407 business entities and also business actors in KEK and from the activities of business actors in KEK, KEK is able to absorb 249 thousand people," he said in a Media Gathering, quoted Friday, March 13.

He added that currently the 25 KEK cover various priority sectors, ranging from industry, tourism, health, to education and technology.

Rizal said that throughout 2025, investment realization reached IDR 82.6 trillion or around 98 percent of the target that had been set, and also managed to absorb as many as 88,591 new workers.

"This achievement shows that KEK continues to grow as an important instrument to encourage increased investment while creating jobs in the country," he said.

Rizal added that KEK not only plays a role as an industrial area, but also as an investment and innovation center that is able to encourage the downstreaming of natural resources, strengthen export competitiveness, and create new economic growth centers in various regions.

In the future, he said, in the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2025-2029, the KEK is projected to be one of the main drivers of national economic growth.

"Through the development of KEK, the government targets an increase in investment and a significant contribution to national economic growth, in line with efforts to realize Indonesia's Gold 2045," he said.

He emphasized that the government is optimistic that KEK will continue to grow as a new economic growth center that is able to provide real benefits to the community, including creating quality jobs, supporting the development of MSMEs, and accelerating the equalization of development between regions.

Rizal added that his party was committed to ensuring that every policy and facility provided actually provided measurable added value for the national economy.