"We highly appreciate the commitment of the Japanese government for this cooperation of the establishment of the MPA, although the country is now suffering from severe calamity," Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Radjasa, said here on a MPA 1st Steering Committee held on the Borobudur Hotel, Thursday.
According to Hatta, The cooperation is the realization of the Memorandum of Cooperation on the Cooperation for Establishing Metropolitan Priority Areas for Investment and Industry (MOC) that was signed between relevant Ministers of Indonesia and Japan in Bali on December 10, 2011.
The objectives of the MPA is to transform the areas to be more attractive and more suitable for direct investment and industrial development by accelerating infrastructure development and creating top-level investment in the Greater Jakarta (Jabodetabek).
On the occasion, Indonesia and Japan set some potential fast-track projects, which will cover physical infrastructure development from a view point of improvement of investment climate in the Jabodetabek MPA.
The physical infrastructure include the International port, Industrial Area to the East of Jakarta, mass transportation network and road network, the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, water supply and sewage system, waste management system, and electric power and energy infrastructure.
"The masterplan study would be started on May and carried out for around one year," Hatta said, adding that the cooperation would involve not only the government`s institutions from both countries but also the private enterprises.
According to Hatta, both Japanese and Indonesia recognized the need for regular consultation between high-level representatives from the Government and the private sector of Japan and relevant institutions of Indonesia in order to create top-level investment climate in the region.
"The High Level Consultation for Investment Promotion will be held in March 2011" Hatta said, adding that the purpose of the consultation is to promote the new regulations for direct investment in Indonesia by making the investment-related regulations, rules and practices more conducive to direct investment.
The Japanese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Makiko Kikuta, who also attended the occasion said, Japan, as the strategic partner of Indonesia, through its technology would cooperate to develop the Greater Jakarta by building conducive climate for investment for the region.
Kikuta also asked the government of Indonesia for more supply of energy in the forms of natural gases and oil for japan, as the country is now suffering from energy crisis, especially electricity due to the tsunami.
(T.KR-AES/HAJM/O001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
