Bitung KEK Serves as Indonesia's Economic Gate: Official

        Manado, N Sulawesi (Antara Bali) - North Sulawesi's Regional Development Planning Board (Bappeda) has termed Bitung's Special Economic Zone (KEK) as an economic gate for Indonesia toward world's economic growth.

         "The Bitung KEK is a realization of the North Sulawesi's vision and mission to serve as Indonesia's economic gate in the East Asian and the Pacific regions. It is also expected to become the gate of the economic giant in Indonesia's eastern regions," Bappeda chief for North Sulawesi Roy Roring said during a dialog with a delegation of Chinese businesspeople here on Saturday.

         Roring said that the Indonesian government is developing 13 areas into economic growth centers in Indonesia, one of the centers in the Bitung KEK.

         The development of KEK is one of the government's steps to win the world's market shares. For this purpose, the Indonesian government hopes that cooperation that has been established with the Chinese businessmen will run well and reach the investment realization stage.

         "President Joko Widodo has expected that Chinese businesspeople will invest in the development of the Bitung KEK," he said. (WDY)