Riau Islands Governor Ansar Ahmad urged the Regional Representative Council (DPD RI) Bill Committee to complete drafting of the Island Regions Bill and have the bill passed to ensure equitable development in island regions.
“We are optimistic that the Island Regions Bill would be passed and enacted soon,” Ahmad stated during a meeting between provincial leaders and DPD RI members in Batam, Thursday.
Ahmad is optimistic that the bill would ensure equitable development in the island regions in Indonesia, especially for Riau Islands Province, with its 2,408 islands and 22 outermost islands bordering neighbouring nations.
Ahmad highlighted that the regional government had laid specific focus on the outermost islands and would process name certificates for the 22 outermost islands before developing the island.
“Developing outermost islands is not an easy task, as we should pay attention to the available budget,” he noted.
Ahmad expressed hope that the passed bill would receive the central government’s assistance to develop islands in his province, especially for the outermost islands.
“We are optimistic that the law would formulate a profit-sharing scheme for island regions, with marine resource potential, considering the fact that the island regions’ jurisdiction mostly covered sea,” Ahmad stated.
Meanwhile, the DPD RI delegation head and chair of the bill committee Badikenita Sitepu reiterated the importance of the Island Regions Bill for development of the island regions in future.
“The marine and fisheries potential would be important for future development,” she pointed out.
Sitepu highlighted that Indonesia, as the largest island country, held abundant resource potential for fisheries, sea mining, and tourism industries. If these potentials are harnessed effectively, then the national income would increase significantly, she affirmed.
“For island regions, such as Riau Islands Province, the seas provide more income potential, which is an important aspect for development of the islands,” she stated.
Source: Antara News