Economic Potential – Short Review
West Sumatra province administratively
composed of 12 districts and 7 municipalities, has 42--thousand-km² area, with
total population about of 4.7 million in 2008. Forty percent of the entire area
is a conservation area.
According to data from the provincial
statistical bureau in year of 2011 economic activities of West Sumatra still
dominated by agricultural sector (23.54%), trade (18.20%), and Services
(16.08%). Gross Regional Domestic Product in 2011 estimated around of 90
trillion rupiah (eq. with 10 million USD for 1 USD = 9000 rupiahs).
Plantation industry is the main contributor to
the Domestic Product and its economy activities; and the Palm Oil Industry
biggest player in the sector. The year of 2010, total palm oil production of
West Sumatra according to BKPM (Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board) is
852,042 tons.
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| Minangkabau International Airport-Padang |
Indonesia is one of the world's largest raw cocoa
producer; West Sumatra is one of the main contributors of it. From statistical data,
in 2010, total contribution of this commodity from this province is 34,806 tons;
the majority of production comes from small plantations and the rest coming
from private estates. Natural rubber is also the flagship product of this province;
they produce 88,949 tons in 2010. Just like cocoa, natural rubber majority also
produced by the plantation business. Only 3535 tones of which were donated by
the industrial estates. Currently local government offered to
investors to make investment in rubber plantation industry in District of
Sawahlunto Sijunjung, Dharmasraya, and South Solok. For more details, you can
contact the Local Government on http://www.sumbarprov.go.id/home/ or direct phone +062-0751-810291.
Outside of the agro-based industries, the
mining sector also promises a great potential; Coal is one of them. There are
large deposits in the two districts of the province, in Kabupaten Pesisir
Selatan with reserves of about 4 million tons and scattered in several
locations (Lumpo and IV Jurai area 0,9 million tons, Penadah and Pancung 2,3
million tons and 0,85 million tons in Tapan area). Being in the District of
Sawahlunto Sijunjung Coal deposits range from approximately, 67 million tons scattered
in several locations with the main deposit are in Jujuhan for about 65.75
million tons, the data are taken from the official release of BKPM (Indonesia
Investment Coordinating Board).
In the west side, West Sumatra has a direct
border with the Indian Ocean with length of coast about 2420 km, covering an
area of 186.500 km2 waters territory.
There is no definitive numbers, but with that
wide of water teritory the potential of the fishing industry must be very
promising. Sea tourism potential is also worthy to be taken into account,
especially in coastal area surrounding to Mentawai Islands because so far those
extraordinary potential is not well managed yet.
Minangkabau International Airport and the Port
of Teluk Bayur is the main entrances into West Sumatra, if you want to get a
more detailed picture about the economic potential of this area you can
contact: Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), www.bkpm.go.id.
To be continued.
To be continued.
