TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil informed that the investment commitment in his region during the Covid-19 pandemic reached Rp360 trillion, or increased by six folds compared to 2019.

“Last year, the investment worth around Rp50-60 trillion entered our summit. I’m highly surprised that the number is not dropped during the pandemic, and even increases six times,” said Kamil in the virtual event of 2020 West Java Investment Summit on Monday, November 16, 2020.

The province, he said, is one of the most competitive investment destinations in Indonesia. The province was even recognized among other industrial cities in ASEAN, such as in Thailand and Vietnam.

This was attributable to the provincial government's efforts that improved various factors to attract investors, including enhancing the quality of education, maintaining social and political stability, and reforming the governance, Kamil explained.

Additionally, the local administration continued to develop infrastructures. West Java reportedly would open Patimban Port to serve as a logistic traffic center, which was targeted to operate in December 2020.

In the next two years, Kamil said the province would have a fast train connecting Bandung and Jakarta. “Many toll roads will be completed too, including Cisumdawu Toll,” he added.

Ridwan Kamil believed that West Java would attract a large number of investors since 60 percent of the country’s industries were centered in the province. “There are more than 2,000 South Korean companies and around a thousand Japanese firms [in West Java], and we are grateful for that,” he said.

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FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA