GOVT TO PROVIDE LAND FOR BUILDING SUGAR MILLS

Jakarta, Jan 14 (ANTARA) - The Minister of Industry, Minister of Forestry, and the Minister of Agriculture will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the allocation of 500 thousand hectares of land for 10 sugar mills which will be built in the next five years.
"On Monday next week I myself, the Minister of Forestry, and the Minister of Agriculture will sign the MoU under which 500 thousand hectares of land will be provided for raising sugarcane," Minister of Industry MS Hidayat said after a breakfast meeting with members of an Egyptian delegation at his office in Jakarta Thursday.

Hidayat said that some of the land will be located in Lampung, South Sumatra and Jambi provinces. "I believe that in the next five years the ten sugar mills will be built by PT Perkebunan Nusantara and private enterprises," he said.

He added that he will explain a planned revitalization of sugar mills program for the 100 days work of the present cabinet.
He said that many circles, including China investors, were interested in making an investment in the building of sugarmills in Indonesia.