Bahlil Ensures China's Xinyi Group Investment Runs In Rempang

Investment Minister Head of BKPM Bahlil Lahadalia. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Investment Minister/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia confirmed that the government will continue the investment plan by Xinyi Group, a glass producer from China, in Rempang, Batam, Riau Islands. However, in this investment process, the government will pay attention to the welfare and rights of the people of Rempang.

"Xinyi continues this investment. I ensure that Xinyi, until now, has all been verified and has received approval. We are currently directing the movement of Rempang residents with full caution, giving people's rights, and involving security forces," Bahlil said in his statement, Saturday, October 22.

Previously, 70% of residents of Pasir Panjang, Rempang, Batam, Riau Islands, had expressed their willingness to move to Tanjung Banun. Meanwhile, Pasir Panjang is one of the five villages prioritized for the transfer.

There are 150 families in the village. Of the total number, 70% agreed to the transfer, although some are still completing the documents.

Bahlil also highlighted the purpose of the project in Rempang, which was originally created to compete with Singapore. However, he expressed concern because no major investors have survived in Batam until now. Therefore, this project must be optimized.

"Dahulu in 2004, there was a large investment that came in, but in the end it was canceled due to a demonstration. This shows that this investment does not take place in Indonesia, investors turn to other countries. The same thing happened in 2010 and is still continuing until 2023, we must now make sure whether we take advantage of this opportunity for our country or instead we become a tool for other countries," said Bahlil.

The government has set five priority locations in the early stages of developing Rempang Eco-City.

These locations include the villages of Pasir Panjang, Blongkeng, Sembulang Hulu, Sembalang Tanjung, and Pasir Merah. In total there are 961 families in the five villages.

Although some residents initially refused the move, 341 families of whom had agreed to the transfer voluntarily and immediately occupied temporary shelters. This refusal took place not only in Rempang, but also in several other investment locations.

"For investors, this amount is not trivial money, it involves hundreds of trillions of rupiah. We must create a safe environment and provide a sense of security to investors. Otherwise, investors will not want to invest," said Bahlil.