Indonesia’s Chief Economic Minister, Hatta Rajasa, inaugurated the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Bosowa cement packing terminal and port in Barru, South Sulawesi, on 26 December. The project includes a jetty for clinker shipments, a pier for ships or barges, a pier for small vessels dispatching cement, a cement packing terminal and cement storage facilities. Hatta said the construction of the port and related facilities, a IDR700bn investment, would not only support Bosowa Cement’s operations but also the interests of the general population.
"We have resolved to turn Barongkong Port into a special economic zone (KEK). This month, we have also visited Bitung, in North Sulawesi, and Palu, in Central Sulawesi, to transform them into KEK regions. The plan will be realised once all the requirements have been met," the minister added.
He noted that Indonesia’s infrastructure budget in 2013 had risen by 6.7 per cent YoY. "With the funds used for infrastructure development reaching over IDR500 trillion, the international community will now perceive Indonesia as an advanced nation because the amount of the allocation has accounted for over five percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP)," he remarked.
