Transmigration Ministry received cacao investment from Switzerland

Deputy Transmigration Minister Viva Yoga Mauladi stated that the Transmigration Ministry received investment from Swiss investors who needed 10,000 hectares (ha) of land for cocoa plantations. He added that a chocolate factory would also be built on the land that could create jobs for the local community.

"This kind of business development cooperation model is still wide open in the transmigration area," said Viva in Jakarta Feb. 24, 2024.

The Transmigration Ministry also invited Indonesian entrepreneurs to develop their businesses in the transmigration area through investment.

Viva noted that industrialization outside Java was something that was hoped for by Mohammad Hatta, Indonesia's first vice president, since 1946.

"Bung Hatta stated at the time that large-scale industrialization must be developed immediately outside Java as it is necessary to accommodate the migrating Javanese workforce," he said.

Viva claimed that the transmigration program is still relevant because the movement of people from densely populated areas, such as Java and Bali, to areas that are still sparsely populated could make Indonesia's territory more secure from claims by other countries.

In addition, Viva claimed that the Prabowo Subianto administration aims to have the transmigration program help eradicate poverty, improve the people's standard of living, as well as support priority programs for development and food self-sufficiency. He said that Statistics Indonesia (BPS) information showed that many transmigration-designated areas outside of Java have turned into national crop production centers.

"They only need to be synergized with the food estate [program] so that the goal to realize food self-sufficiency could be achieved," he said.

Viva also claimed that many transmigration areas are now becoming new economic growth areas, with 1,567 villages, 466 districts, 116 regencies/cities, and three provinces have been formed through lands developed as part of previous governments' transmigration directives.

"The three provinces are West Sulawesi, North Kalimantan, and South Papua. These areas are now economic and growth areas," he added.

The Transmigration Ministry plans to transport 132 households out of 7,000 households who registered for the transmigration program in 2024. In total, 2.2 million families accounting for 9 million people have been transmigrated from Java and Bali to various other provinces in Indonesia since the program was enacted in 1950.