Coordinating Minister: Unilever boosts investment in Sei Mangkei KEK

Darmin said it while inaugurating PT Unilever Oleochemical Indonesia (UOI) Factory in Special Economic Zone (KEK) Sei Mangkei, Simalungun District, North Sumatera Province, Thursday. In a press release received in Medan, the Coordinating Minister of the Economy mentioned that the plan for UOI's investment expansion until 2017 which reached Rp4 trillion is expected to be able to create bigger investment revival in the country. According to him, PT UOI is the first investor and becomes the anchor in KEK Sei Mangkei. `The Government's expectation is that KEK Se Mangkei which is designed to accommodate more than 200 industry units, can play a role in the acceleration of development and manifestation of Indonesian nation's competitiveness,` he said. The presence of KEK Sei Mangkei is also expected to reduce Indonesia's dependency on imported goods. Moreover, Darmin said, KEK Sei Mangkei is the first KEK which president Joko Widodo (Jokowi) officially opened its readiness to be operated, on January 27th, 2015. KEK Sei Mangkei, said the minister, has access to Malacca Strait which will also be directly connected to Kuala Tanjung Harbor. `With its strategic value, the Government has made various efforts to manifest the KEK such as providing connection infrastructure, easy permitting, and giving a package of facilities and conveniences for the industries in KEK,` he said. The minister emphasized that KEK Sei Mangkei still needs commitment, consistency, and support from all related parties, both from the government and business world,. Director of Planning and Marketing of PTPN III, Alexander Maha, said that the impact of the development of PT UOI factory is estimated to absorb up to 600 direct labors and create 5,000 indirect labors. PT UOI factory itself stands on an 18-hectare land and is planned to expand another 9 hectares with total investment value of Rp4 trillion. Furthermore, the factory is designed to process 165,000 tons of Crude Palm Kernel Oil (CPKO) and produce 206,000 tons of oleochemicals products per year, such as fatty acid, surfactant, glycerin, and soap noodle. `With such UOI's performance, the factory's operationalization will also boost UMKM (micro, small, and medium enterprises) such as catering services, housing, transportation, and cleaning,` he said. Alex said that in the next 20 years, the investment value in KEK Sei Mangkei is estimated to increase to Rp46 trillion which consists of Rp38 trillion for industry zone, Rp5.5 trillion for logistic zone, and Rp2.5 trillion for the development of zone and tourism zone. As the Development and Management Business Entity (BUPP) of KEK Sei Mangkei, he said, PTPN III hopes more investors will enter the KEK.
Editor: B Kunto Wibisonohttp://www.antaranews.com/berita/531736/menko-unilever-dorong-investasi-kek-sei-mangkei