S.E. Sulawesi expects refinery plant

President Abdurrahman Wahid has promised to help the Southeast Sulawesi province to materialize the development of refinery plant in the province by convincing prospective investors from Kuwait to shift the site of its planned refinery plant from South Sulawesi to the province, according to governor Kaimoedin.

"I have been asked by the President to collect all data and information about the prospect on the development of refinery plant and other natural resources in Southeast Sulawesi. Those data and information would be used by the President to convince the Kuwaiti investors," Kaimoedin said in Southeast Sulawesi capital of Kendari.

The Kuwaiti investors initially planned to build its refinery plant on Selayar island, South Sulawesi. But it canceled the plan as it was opposed by various parties in the province because Selayar island is part of the Takabonerate National Park.

Kaimoedin said that his administration would offer Muna island as the site for the refinery plant. All parties concerned in the province supported the selection of Muna for refinery plant. Besides, it is located in a strategic location.

He added that he was given a week by the President to prepare the materials. The President had also appointed Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab to bring the data and information to Middle Eastern investors.

Besides the refinery plant, Kaimoedin said, the potential sector that would be offered to Middle Eastern investors would be natural asphalt mining on Buton island, which produces the best asphalt in the world.

Currently three investors had secured licenses to exploit asphalt on Buton. However, there were still plenty of asphalt reserves to be offered to new investors, the governor said.

If the refinery plant and asphalt mining activities are materialized, Kaimoedin said, they would contribute about Rp 1 trillion in revenues to his administration, far higher than Rp 30 billion currently received by the administration from various local resources. (*)