Bitung Should Work Hard To Welcome SEZ: Governor

Manado, North Sulawesi, Oct 23 (Antara) - North Sulawesi Governor Sinyo Harry Sarundajang has encouraged the Bitung port city administration to work hard to welcome the establishment of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) there. During a visit to the project site in Bitung on Wednesday, the governor remarked that the SEZ will cover an area of 534 hectares, and therefore, the Bitung city administration should work hard to realize it. He pointed out that the presence of the SEZ in Bitung will boost economic growth in eastern Indonesia, and after completion, it will host various industrial and commercial areas and supporting facilities, such as an international port. Governor Sarundajang revealed that priority will be given to the development of an international port and a toll road connecting the provincial city of Manado and Bitung`s SEZ. According to him, Bitung is home to the Tanjung Merah industrial center, which will serve as a manufacturing base for natural resources, fisheries, and packaging industries. The governor stated that Tanjung Merah will become Indonesia`s new hub for business activities in the Pacific. "We hope that the SEZ in Bitung will become a new gateway because of its strategic location in the Pacific region," Sarundajang added.