REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MEDAN -- As many as 22 foreign investors are exploring areas of investment in North Sumatra province which they believe has huge business potential.
Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Franky Sibarani stated here on Monday that the investors came from Japan, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and China, among others.
Ten foreign investors had expressed interest in the energy sector, he remarked.
"North Sumatra is an attractive place to invest as it is one of the top ten investment destinations," he noted at a regional investment forum organized by the BKPM in cooperation with the North Sumatra provincial government.
North Sumatra is ranked eighth in terms of foreign investment destinations in the country and tenth in terms of domestic investment destinations, he emphasized.
To that end, the provincial, district, and municipal governments in North Sumatra must be proactive in luring investors and providing them with the required facilities, he remarked.
The regional government has played a greater role than the central government in luring investors, he pointed out.
North Sumatra's improving infrastructure has been one of the key factors in attracting investment, he stated.
One of the infrastructure projects being constructed in North Sumatra is a 2x200 megawatt (MW)-capacity power plant in Pangkalan Susu.
Another power plant, with a capacity of 600 MW, will also be built in the province, he noted.
"These all will help to improve North Sumatra's image as an attractive investment destination," he added.