TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto said the government hopes that 13 industrial zones in the country are expected to attract Rp250.7 trillion worth of investment in 2018.

"The government has provided improved investment facilities in the industrial zones, among others, through fiscal and non fiscal incentives and the formation of task forces to make available gas supply, electricity, water, land, spatial plan and others," Airlangga said in Jakarta on Sunday.

The 13 industrial zones are the Morowali in Central Sulawesi, the Sei Mangkei in North Sumatra, the Bantaeng in South Sulawesi, the JIIPE Gresik in East Java, the Kendal in Central Java and the Wilmar in Serang, Banten.

Others are the Dumai in Riau, the Konawe in Southeast Sulawesi, the KEK Palu in Sulawesi Tengah, the KEK Bitung in North Sulawesi, the KI Ketapang of West Kalimantan, the KEK of Lhokseumawe in Aceh, and the KI Tanjung Buton of Riau.

Hartarto said the government will conduct a roadshow to potential investors so that investors would know Indonesia and its regulations hoping that it would also improve the investment climate.

The minister said his ministry had facilitated the development of a number integrated industrial zones to support the investors to develop their businesses in Indonesia.

Hartarto revealed that in total amount, the manufacturing sector this year reached Rp352 trillion.

The Ministry of Industry noted that non-oil and gas processing industry exports until November of 2017 amounted to 114.67 billion US dollars, up 14.25 percent compared to the same period in 2016 of about 100.36 billion US dollars.

The export of non-oil and gas processing industry contributed up to 74.51 percent of total national exports until November 2017 which reached 153.90 billion US dollars.

To boost exports, ease of market access is required. In this case, the government continues to negotiate to agree on comprehensive economic cooperation agreements with Europe, the United States and Australia.

If the barriers are reduced, such as export duty, our textile and footwear industry performance will go up, "he said.

ANTARA