In future, we will work to restore cross-border travel and ease the requirements to encourage Singaporean tourists to visit Indonesia safelyJakarta (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto held a meeting with several Singaporean ministers to follow up on the results of the Indonesia-Singapore Leaders' Retreat 2022.
Several important agreements related to the travel bubble, data center development in the Nongsa Digital Park (NDP), and cooperation in the energy sector were announced during the Indonesia–Singapore Leaders' Retreat held on January 25, 2022.
"In future, we will work to restore cross-border travel and ease the requirements to encourage Singaporean tourists to visit Indonesia safely," Hartarto remarked here on Friday.
Since the Leaders' Retreat between the two countries, Indonesia has facilitated quarantine-free travel in the Batam-Bintan-Singapore bubble, according to Hartarto's statement.
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On the other hand, the statement noted that Singapore had provided the Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) by Sea scheme by accommodating ferry trips for travelers entering the designated areas: Lagoi-Bintan and Nongsa-Batam.
Regarding the development of Nongsa Digital Park, Hartarto welcomed investment in the data center park, wherein both Data Center (DC) First and GDS will start the first phase of development next month, and their operations are targeted to commence in April and August 2023.
The land required for the establishment of data centers and the infrastructure had been prepared, including the requirements for electricity capacity and cooling systems, he stated.
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Hartarto pointed out that the Nongsa Digital Park is also linked to 13 submarine communications cable systems and seven landing stations connecting Batam Island to Jakarta, Singapore, Malaysia, and the West Coast of the United States.
In facilitating and enhancing energy cooperation between Indonesia and Singapore, Hartarto explained that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) for Energy Cooperation had been inked as an institutional framework.
The cooperation is currently awaiting the implementation of ongoing projects, including the Batam Solar Power Plant project that has been listed in the National Strategic Projects, Hartarto stated.
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Translator: Agatha V, Kenzu T
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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