Riau Islands Governor Hopes Karimun And Bintan Enter Free Trade Areas Like Batam

Illustration. Takong Shark Island, Karimun Regency, Riau Islands. (Between-Rusdianto)

KEPRI - Governor of the Riau Islands (Kepri) Ansar Ahmad requested that the Karimun and Bintan regions be included in the Free Trade Area and Free Port (KPB PB). By becoming a comprehensive KPB such as Batam, Ansar admitted that the local government (Pemda) can provide legal certainty for investors interested in investing in the two areas "Kadangkala when investors invested in the boundaries between KPB PB and non KPB PB in Bintan and Karimun, we also find it difficult to provide answers because the treatment is different, partly in the partially non-coupling customs area," Ansar said at a press conference on the 'Launching the Rempang Area Development Program' in Jakarta, Wednesday, April 13, was confiscated by Antara. According to him, some time ago, his party had proposed to the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs so that Bintan and Karimun could be designated as PB KPB as a whole. The three regions in the Riau Islands, namely Batam, Bintan, and Karimun, are expected to continue to be attractors of investment entering the Ripri and increase economic growth in islands through 86 thousand trade ships in 2022. For this reason, the local government also continues to make various efforts through incentives to accelerate the development of the three regions. "This certainly does not only talk about incentives in fiscal form but also non-fiscal, such as fast, and efficient investment licensing services, so that legal certainty of such a law gives birth to investment actors to invest in the Riau Islands," he said.

He also said that other regions in Riau Islands will continue to be developed because they have great potential to increase national economic growth. "We will continue to support all the potential in this district and city in Riau Islands, which actually has great potential, can produce economic contributions that we believe can be bigger," he said.