TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan said Indonesian and Chinese governments agreed to carry out development in the special economic zone, including in Kuala Tanjung Port, North Sumatra.

“We make use of the network of China to enhance the performance of Kuala Tanjung, and they are willing to benefit their network to use the port service,” said Luhut in a written statement in Jakarta, Thursday, April 25.

The deal has been inked by the Coordinating Ministry’s deputy of infrastructure Ridwan Djamaluddin and China's Vice Chairman National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) Ning Jizhe on the sideline of the second Belt and Road Summit in Beijing, China, on April 26-27.

Belt and Road Summit or also known as One Belt and One Road or OBOR is a premier international platform for promoting business collaboration along the Belt and Road. The Belt means the overland route, while the Road means the sea routes.

The business-to-business agreement in developing economic zones was part of the investment cooperation through Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI) initiated by the President of China Xi Jinping.

The Coordinating Ministry earlier stated the tie had been listed in Indonesia - China Global Maritime Fulcrum Belt and Road Initiatives (GMF–BRI). The Chinese government was reported to have drafted Framework Agreement for the cooperation in Kuala Tanjung, North Sumatra, as the first project.

Luhut mentioned that Indonesia provided four corridors in the BRI; in North Sumatra, North Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, and Bali Island.

Belt and Road Initiatives, he added, could be an alternative to support the country’s construction projects, and that must contribute to alleviating poverty rate in the four provinces. “A success benchmark of this project is when it is able to lower the poverty rate by opening job opportunities for locals,” the minister said.

DIAS PRASONGKO | BISNIS

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