Aceh's Economic Growth Rate Continues To Improve

Banda Aceh, Oct 10 (Antara) - The economic growth rate of Aceh province, in the past few years, has continued to improve although efforts to enhance local people`s welfare required a long process, according to Governor Zaini Abdullah. "In spite of the fact that efforts to develop local people`s welfare required a long process, the economic growth rate in the past few years continued to improve," the governor said in his written statement, read out by his secretary, Said Mustafa, at a coordination meeting on economy in Takengon, Central Aceh, on Thursday. He noted that the economic growth rate of the province reached 5.18 percent in 2011, rose to 5.42 percent in 2012, but until the second quarter of 2013, it stood at 4.24 percent. Therefore, the governor said the issues to be discussed in the meeting should at least touch upon four fundamental things that hamper the economic development of Aceh. The first issue, according to him, is the need for economic empowerment that can fulfil the desires of the lower class community, and the second is the importance of economic facility and infrastructure development in the marine sector. Abdullah said the third issue is the need for comprehensive steps to handle poverty and unemployment, while the fourth is the need for wider access to small and medium sized businesses. "Of all the four issues, small and medium sized businesses need to get more attention because they absorb more manpower," noted Governor Zaini Abullah. Meanwhile, Chief of Provincial Economic Bureau Muhammad Raudhi said the coordination meeting is an annual agenda for coordination, consultation, and discussion to harmonise Aceh�s economic development plan in future. He said the coordination meeting is expected to equalise steps and vision for the welfare of the local people, to build a good working mechanism, and to develop a conducive investment climate in the province.