Batam is one of the areas with the highest investment interest in Indonesia. The investment value even touched 6.1 trillion in the first semester of 2022. Therefore, Batam is predicted to be more attractive to investors next year.
This was conveyed directly by the Head of the Batam Free Trade Area and Free Port Concession Agency (BP Batam).
“Many investors have met me this year. They just have to complete the permit and land completion, if everything is finished, in 2023 they will go,” he said, quoted on Wednesday (19/10/2022).
Rudi explained that the investment value in Batam touched 6.1 trillion in the first semester of 2022. With this figure, Batam PMA contributed the most significant percentage with 79.16 percent of the realization of FDI investment in the Riau Islands amounting to 6.4 trillion.
With this investment growth, he believes that by 2022 the economic growth rate in Batam can reach the target of 7%.
In 2021 alone, Batam’s economy can grow by 4.75% from the previous -2% in 2020.
“Initially, we estimated 2%-3% but the realization was 3.69% national growth, Batam 4.75%, Batam is a processed production area that is quite a lot. When Covid hit, other regions closed investment, Batam actually opened its doors wide for investment,” he explained.
Rudi emphasized that BP Batam is committed to maintaining the investment and allowing other investors to enter Batam.
In addition to relying on the industry, the tourism sector, he said, would be the locomotive of Batam’s economy. The reason is that Singapore and Malaysia have stopped social restrictions, so he is optimistic that tourists coming to Batam will increase to 2 million.
With increased tourism, controlled inflation, and an easy licensing process for the economy, Batam will grow better.
“Exports will then increase, so the money will circulate more in Batam. If we can maintain this, we believe that growth can reach 6% -7%, but this cannot be separated from national support,” he added.
With positive achievements in 2021-2022, Rudi believes that in 2023 Batam will skyrocket. All budgets for both the Batam City Government and BP Batam, he said, were directed for investment purposes.
One of them is by building an access road that connects all industrial areas so that the movement of goods from and to Batam will be on time so that it becomes one of the investment attractions.
Rudi added that since the top leadership in both Pemko and BP Batam is under his control, his party has combined the planning policies of the two institutions so that there is no overlap.
As a result, in the last 3 years, infrastructure development has been more focused on supporting investment.
