NTB To Open 5,700 hectares Of New Rice Fields

Mataram, W Nusa Tenggara, Jan 14 (ANTARA) - The provincial administration of West Nusa Tenggara said it will open 5,700 hectares of new rice fields in the province to be financed with fund from the 2013 state budget. "The result of a survey of the locations of the rice fields has been sent to the provincial Procurement Service Unit (ULP)needed in the process of auction of goods and services," H. Abdul Ma`ad, the head of the regional food crop and horticulture farm office, said here on Mondau. The rice fields would be built in eight regencies as part of the government program to contribute to maintaining the country`s self sufficiency in rice supply. ULP is an agency providing electronic procurement system for government goods and services to minimize collusion and nepotism. The electronic procurement facility was a grant from the Australian International Development Aid (AusAID). AusAID program in West Nusa Tenggara includes expansion of administration capacity in the province and regencies and improvement of people`s income. Ma`ad said with the ULP facility, process of goods and service procurement for the opening of the new rice fields could be made faster. Based on a survey, expansion of rice fields in the regencies of Lombok Timur is 300 hectares, Lombok Utara 200 hectares , Sumbawa Barat 1000 hectares, Sumbawa 3,500 hectares, Dompu 400 hectares and Bima 300 hectares . "Each year there will be expansion of rice fields in the province," Ma`ad said here on Monday.