Sungailiat (Antara Babel) - The Bangka-Belitung (Babel) provincial Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) has urged the regional government to immediately realize the development of a special economic zone (SEZ) for boosting tourism in the province.
"The central government has entrusted the development of an SEZ for tourism on the regional governments of Bangka and Belitung districts, and it is a strategic opportunity, especially for the local government," Kadin Chairman Thomas Jusman remarked here on Thursday.
According to Jusman, the strategic plan to develop an SEZ for tourism by the Bangka and Belitung district governments should be realized soon.
"Babel Province comprises two large islands of Bangka and Belitung, which have good tourism potential to be developed in a sustainable manner," Jusman stated.
He reiterated that the districts of Bangka and Belitung have attractive marine, culinary, religious, cultural, and historical tourism potential.
"If the development of the SEZ is realized, I believe it will boost the number of both domestic and foreign tourist arrivals in either Bangka or Belitung districts," he noted.
The Indonesian government has, since several years, developed SEZs, designed to serve as the centers of integrated economic activities to boost the country's economic growth.
An SEZ is developed in a region having geo-economic excellence and geo-strategic functions that can accommodate industrial, export, import, and other economic activities, with certain facilities given by the government.
The zones are formed to create a conducive environment for investment as well as to boost export and trade activities to galvanize economic growth and serve as a catalyst for economic reforms.
Hence, in the sixth trance of the economic policy package announced in November 2015, the government had included eight SEZs to make the business world more progressive and enhance job opportunities.
The government's policy package focused on the development of eight SEZs and would later develop seven additional zones in the following years.
