Morotai Island.
Ternate, North Maluku (ANTARA News) - North Maluku provincial government is planning to develop Morotai and Halmahera islands into an industrial center in East Indonesia, local government spokesman Abubakar Abdullah said here on Wednesday.
He said the local government would make use of abundant natural resources to make Halmahera island the center of agriculture and mining industry and Morotai island the center of adequate fishery processing industry.
Especially for Morotai island, Abubakar said the development of industrial center there would be integrated with the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry`s program to make in tuna processing center.
Abubakar said the North Maluku provincial government program to turn Morotai and Halmahera into the center of industrial development was fully supported by central government, and has even been put on the concept of national economic development acceleration.
He said both domestic and foreign investors had expressed interest to develop Halmahera and Morotai islands into industrial center.
According to him, investment value to develop the two islands in North Maluku was estimated to be more than Rp1 trillion.
Therefore the local government has taken various concrete steps to support industrial development in the islands of Halmahera and Morotai by constructing basic infrastructure facilities such as Halmahera ring road and Morotai ring road.
Abubakar said North Maluku provincial government has expressed hope that all related parties including the local community would support the realization of Halmahera and Morotai as industrial center in East Indonesia.
"If the two islands have become the centers of industrial development, it will have a great positive impact on the improvement regional economy and the the local people`s welfare," Abubakar said.
He said especially in Halmahera, the mining companies such as PT Aneka Tambang and PT Nusa Halmahera Minieral have operated there.
