"We want to create job opportunities to reduce the poverty rate. All along, investment came in, yet the poverty rate remains high because people's skills do not match industry needs," Suryanagara stated during his visit to Tanjung Banun on Tuesday.
The minister explained that his initiative will focus on capacity improvement through training and assistance. Moreover, his administration plans to establish more facilities in Tanjung Banun by this year, including 200 additional housing units, preparing five hectares of land, and developing a clean water network.
"We will develop schools gradually, starting with elementary schools, and in collaboration with relevant institutions like the Public Works Ministry, we will build green spaces," he remarked.
Plans also include working with the Maritime and Fisheries Ministry (KKP) to construct a dock, a fish processing facility, and cold storage, as well as to provide 14 boats with a capacity of 5 gross tonnage (GT) each.
Moreover, businesses will contribute by providing plants for home gardens, he noted. The ministry will determine which crops are most suitable for the area, so harvests can be sold.
Suryanagara listed three key economic potentials in Tanjung Banun: fisheries and marine resources, tourism, and horticulture.
As directed by President Prabowo Subianto, he stressed that people must receive comprehensive support to ensure that investments produce tangible benefits for their prosperity.
“In essence, the transmigration program is not just about relocating people but (also about) creating a self-reliant and productive future,” he noted.
On the same occasion, the head of the Batam Free Trade Zone and Port Authority (BP Batam), Amsakar Achmad, stated that his administration is preparing some key facilities, such as schools and places of worship, to support daily life in the new area.
Related news: Minister announces three areas interested in transmigration
Translator: Amandine Nadja, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Primayanti
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