Governor invites investors to 'peaceful' Central Sulawesi

Ruslan Sangadji
The Jakarta Post
Palu

Conflict-scarred Central Sulawesi is now peaceful and needs investors to help rebuild it and begin important infrastructure projects, its governor says.

Bandjela Paliudju told The Jakarta Post during the weekend that the provincial government was working hard to smooth the way for investors so that much-needed work could begin.

"The conflict is over now ... and we're heading for a process of rehabilitation and reconstruction, especially in the hardest-hit Poso regency. So, if investors are willing to enter Central Sulawesi, we will guarantee them a simpler investment application process," Paliudju said.

The governor said there was still only a small number of investors in the province, despite the many opportunities it offered.

Oil and gas reserves are now being seriously developed in the Tiaka fields and the Senoro-Toili block in Banggai regency, he said.

The province is also rich in mineral resources and metals like coal, nickel, gold, copper and granite, he said.

Quoting reports from state oil company Pertamina, Paliudju said operations in Tiaka had already shipped 75,000 barrels of crude oil to the Plaju oil cracker in Riau this year, part of the 155,377 barrels of crude the field had produced since December 2005.

The Tiaka oil field jointly operated by Pertamina and Medco E&Tomori Sulawesi started production on July 31 of that year, he said.

Crude production at the field has already reached 2,000 barrels a day and could be raised to 5,000 barrels a day in stages, he said.

The fields when fully tapped could produce around 10 million barrels of crude oil, while the nearby Senoro field was predicted to have gas reserves of up to 3.7 trillion cubic feet, he said.

There are also significant commercial coal reserves in the Morowali and Donggala regencies, he said.

"There is great potential here. However, these resources have been left practically untouched because of the lengthy conflict. But now, the conflict is over and security is conducive," he said.

Data showed in 2000 the provincial administration approved 86 domestic investment projects with combined commitments of Rp 7.40 billion (US$778,947), 31 foreign projects worth US$124 million and another seven foreign projects worth Rp 23.04 billion.

In 2003, the number of domestic investment projects reached 34 with combined investment commitments of Rp 2.39 trillion, 13 foreign investment projects worth $166.10 million and four other foreign projects valued at Rp 13.13 billion.