Kyushu Wants to Build Smart City and Airport in Kutai

     Samarinda, E Kalimantan (ANTARA News) - Kyushu Economic Federation that groups 970 big companies in Japan, wants to build a smart city in  the regency of  Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan.

     Head of the regional capital investment and promotion board (BPMPD) of Kutai Kartanegara Bambang Arwanto said here on Sunday that the Indonesian chamber of commerce and industry (Kadin) would form a consortium of domestic and foreign companies to build the Smart City  and Loa Kulu airport.

     "Discussions on investment cooperation between Kyushu Economic Federation  and Kadin Indonesia was held at Fukoka on February 10 in 2015 to be followed with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two sides," Bambang Arwanto stated.

     The investment cooperation between Kadin  and Kyusu Economic Federation is in the Smart City  and Loa Kulu airport projects, Bambang said.

     He said  Kyushu Economic Federation plans to help Kadin as partner  in planning and build the project, he added.      

     "Discussion on the investment cooperation was attended by Kutai Kartanegara regent Rita Widyasari  and Kadin official  Zulnahar Usman. Kyusu Economic Federation chairman Mr Yutaka Aso expressed enthusiasm when hearing details of the projects from  the regent," he said.

     "The Smart City and the Loa Kulu airport  would be built through investment cooperation in the private sector. Therefore, it uses no fund from the state budget," he said .

     Smart City is a city model to be built around the Loa Kulu airport in synergy with the infrastructure of the city of Tenggarong, the municipal city of  Kutai Kartanegara regency.

     "The Smart City in Kutai Kartanegara will be the first city model  in Indonesia planned by Kadin Indonesia in cooperation with a number of consortiums of companies  and the Kutai Kartanegara district administration," Bambang Arwanto said.

     The ground breaking  and the launch of the Smart City and Loa Kulu airport project  would take place in March, 20915, he said.

     "They Kyushu  and Kadin will first build  a power generating plant needed by the project as a self supporting city," he said.

     In addition to meeting Kyusu Economic Federation, a team of  Kadin  and the Kutai Kartanegara administration visited  the city of Kitakyushu, where the city mayor opened the opportunity to cooperate in managing "Ecotown" or  city  of recycling industry in Kutai Kartanegara.

     "In his speech Kenji Kitahashi, the  Mayor of Ktakyhusu City said he welcomes the visit of the delegation of Kadin Indonesia  and the Kutai Kartanegara administration  in managing  the Ecotown," he said.

     In the meeting, the delegation of the  Kutai Kartanegara district administration studied how Kitakyusu grew from a dirty town into one of the cleanest cities in Japan by  processing garbage into feedstock of recycling industry.

     "There are a lot that could be learned  from the city, where the people have to pay for the service to dispose of garbage at recycling factories," he said.

     People found violating the regulation would be heavily fined, therefore, the regulation is effective in developing recycling industry, he said.

     "If in other places  garbage is recycled to generate energy , in this city  all garbage  has industrial value .  Kadin  will be able to facilitate communications with Kitakyushu City to follow up talks on the Ecotown," Bambang Arwanto said. (*)