TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Publicly-listed industrial estate developer PT Jababeka through its subsidiary, PT Banten West Java, has kicked off the construction of the much-anticipated Tanjung Lesung Special Economic Zone (KEK) in Banten.

Jababeka director Setyono Djuandi Darmono said the tourism industry zone was aimed at luring around a million tourists each year. “It means we need 12,000 hotel rooms and other facilities, such as an airport, marinas, and railway,” he said on Monday.

The construction of the Tanjung Lesung KEK as a new tourist destination was initiated by the government, which said the KEK would be on a par with Bali. The government and developers plan to construct a string of infrastructure projects, whose initial stage comprises a marina for cruise ships and 100 cottages. The government is teaming with PT Pengembang Pelabuhan Indonesia (PPI) in the marina construction.

PPI president director Dani Rusli Utama said the Tanjung Lesung KEK had promising business potential, and that his company had begun working on a number of infrastructure projects, including a 600-yacht-capacity port. “A part of it is for the property owners there, while the rest for the public,” he said, adding that a large port on the outside of the planned marina would be able to accommodate two cruisers.

Dani said the required investment in the KEK Tanjung Lesung reached Rp4.83 trillion, and that Jababeka had invested Rp1.4 trillion and PPI had earmarked Rp585 billion. He added he had collaborated with local and foreign investors to invest in the project. According to Dani, the potential revenue from the KEK would hit Rp18 trillion.

President Joko Widodo after inaugurating the KEK’s operational office on February 23 ordered the construction of the 83 km Serang-Panimbang turnpike, which was targeted for completion in three years. The government also plans to construct an international airport in Panimbang, a district closest to Tanjung Lesung.

PRAGA UTAMA