Indonesia today has dozens of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) -- namely areas that the government wishes to turn into new centers of economic growth -- spread across the archipelago. The government also grants incentives such as corporate income tax deductions and easier permits for companies who plan on investing in these SEZs. These SEZs are also not only open to manufacturing companies, but some of these zones are focused on tourism.North Sumatra’s Sei Mangkei SEZ -- home to palm oil and rubber processing industries -- was among the first ones to gain SEZ status in 2012. It became the first SEZ that Jokowi launched in January 2015. Earlier this month, two new SEZs were launched, including the Banten International Education, Technology, and Health SEZ, just a few weeks before President Joko Widodo’s retirement. This economic zone is expected to post around IDR 18.8 trillion (US$1.2 billion) worth of investments once it is fully operational. The second newly appointed SEZ is the Batam International Health Tourism SEZ, which is eyeing to attract investments worth IDR 6.91 trillion. The Batam International Health Tourism SEZ will fully operate in 2026 and can prevent Indonesia from losing IDR 500 billion in foreign exchange as it would stop people from needing to travel abroad for medical treatment. The addition of the two aforementioned zones brought the latest tally to 24 SEZs. Since its inception, 22 of Indonesian SEZs had attracted IDR 205.2 trillion from domestic and foreign investors as of mid-2024. These SEZs have also generated jobs for 132,227 people. These job opportunities came from 368 businesses, government data showed. Of all SEZs, the Kendal SEZ is among the most popular ones which is located in Central Java, the Kendal SEZ hosts high-tech and export-oriented industries, including the manufacturing plant of the Chinese anode battery material giant BTR and has amassed up to IDR 87 trillion in investments.Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/business/sezs-become-indonesias-new-economic-boosters (ICE GIACARTA)

Fonte notizia: Jakarta Globe, 16 October 2024