News
South Kalimantan sought inclusion of four industrial areas to RPJMN
WINDONESIA March 10, 2025
South Kalimantan Bappeda Head Ariadi Noor. (South Kalimantan Media Center)
The South Kalimantan Provincial Government continues to strive to develop several integrated industrial areas, especially four of such areas that include Jorong Borneo Integrated City (JBIC), Batulicin Industrial Park, Banua Anam Industrial Park, and Mekar Putih Special Economic Zone.
South Kalimantan Province Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) Head Ariadi Noor stated in Banjarbaru City on Feb. 14, 2025 that the development of integrated industrial areas with a focus on industrial downstreaming and increasing investment is one of the priorities in the 2025-2029 Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD), as well as to realize South Kalimantan as supporting region for the Nusantara Capital City (IKN).
"South Kalimantan must have integrated industrial areas in order to increase its economic competitiveness. Without them, our status as the logistics gateway of Kalimantan will be meaningless," he added.
Ariadi said that JBIC in Tanah Laut Regency, South Kalimantan is one of the industrial areas that the South Kalimantan Provincial Government sought to be included in the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) so it could receive full support from the Indonesian government.
He revealed that the South Kalimantan Provincial Government has written towards President Prabowo Subianto to request infrastructure support, such as road access and water facilities in the area. Although still in the proposal stage, JBIC has attracted large investment interest from companies from China, with a value reaching US$5 billion (around Rp7 trillion).
If realized, said Ariadi, the investment is projected to be able to boost South Kalimantan's economic growth by 1.5 to 2.5 percent and create jobs for 10,000 workers.
"Chinese investors will build a factory processing coal into green ammonia and green methanol, as well as process palm oil into oleochemicals and derived [products] such as cosmetics and B50 (50 percent fatty acid methyl ester) biodiesel," said Ariadi.
