WEST JAVA Inward investment is helping to improve the welfare of local people as well as generating profits
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hroughout
history visitors to the Indonesian islands have made West Java their
first stop. It was the first place that traders from the Indian sub-continent
brought their cultural influences to. The British and Dutch also made
it their first landing point.
Today, travellers do well to follow this tried-and-tested example. The
modern province of West Java, which lies to the south and east of the
nation’s capital, is a perfect place for the visitor to be introduced
to the wonders of Indonesia.
One of the most beautiful destinations is the rugged mountain district of Tasikmalaya that extends to the southern coast of the island. Tasikmalaya, known as the city of batik and paper umbrellas, is also prized for its elegant handbags, woven mats and bamboo kitchen utensils.
Tatang
Farhanul Hakim, Bupati
of Tasikmalaya, is working hard to establish his district as a major
tourist destination. “My ambition is to establish an integrated
tourist site where visitors can stay with local people. We have a Sundanese
tribe called the Kampung Naga, which still lives in the traditional
way but is open to visits from tourists.”
This is just one of the many tourism investment opportunities that Mr
Hakim is developing. “We are trying to unearth potential attractions
that are not based on the hustle and bustle of Bali or Jakarta. We want
to find things that are truly natural, things that will improve the
welfare of the people,” he says. The kapupaten is developing other
tourism projects along the 37 miles of Tasikmalaya’s coastline
and at the beautiful hot springs near the famous Galunggung volcano.
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Tourism
is by no means the only opportunity that Tasikmalaya has to offer. “There
are also 27 potential mining areas that have not been developed yet,”
he says. Projects that he is currently working on include a manganese
plant, gold mines and cement factories, a commercial harbour, and agro-industry
to process the district’s famous supreme-quality mangos. “We
will provide security guarantees to all investors entering Tasikmalaya,”
he adds.
North of this district, and just one hour’s drive east of Jakarta,
is the strategically-located kabupaten of Purwakarta. It sits on the
northern coast of Java surrounded by sparkling paddy fields. Purwakarta
is in the centre of an economic region and can be easily accessed via
a toll road. It is a dynamic part of the Indonesian economy and an important
industrial and agricultural area that produces a wide range of goods,
from ceramics to livestock and mangos.
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“We want to develop ourselves as a dynamic region and to have human resources that are ready to face globalisation,” says Lili Hambali, Bupati of Purwakarta. “We are prepared to invite investors into any area of our core businesses to achieve this.”
Tourism in the province is distinct from the attractions of Bali or Jakarta
Mr Hambali is directly involved in handling the management of investors to provide guarantees for investment permits. The permits normally take 12 days to be issued. His direct involvement in bringing new business into his district has paid dividends.
Half of Purwakarta’s main 2,000 hectare industrial estate is already occupied. Many Indian, Korean, Japanese and Swedish companies have invested there, as has the American giant Coca-Cola. And more investors are lining up. Mr Hambali is continuing to market the area with great success. He says: “Purwakarta is a safe place to invest.”
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