"We, in our capacity as the chairman of the National Council for Economic Zones, will speed up the process of granting a special economic zone status to Mandalika Resort area," the minister said here on Friday.
He said that the special economic zone status would soon be given to the resort area if it already meets all requirements based on regulations in force.
The coordinating minister for economic affairs made the remarks when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono officiated the groundbreaking development of the resort area on Friday.
In his report to the president, Hatta said that the proposal for the granting of the status was now in process at the National Council for Special Economic Zones.
The proposal was made by the regional government of NTB and of Central Lombok district in its capacity as the owner of the Mandalika resort area.
The local governments made the proposal following the central government`s decision on July 22, 2011 to accelerate the development the infrastructures in NTB to support the province`s tourism.
The Mandalika area will be transformed into a new tourism-based growth center in southern Lombok, the minister said.
"If this area is granted the special economic zone status, it will be given fiscal and non-fiscal facilities so that it would attract investors to develop the tourism sector," he said.
By the granting of the special economic zone status and is followed with concrete efforts to utilize the 1,175 hectare area, it is expected that in 2015 about one million tourists will visit Mandalika. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
