REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Indonesian Government will boost the development of a world-class open port in Sabang, Aceh Province, in a bid to attract more investment into the city.

"There are priority sectors that have, especially, been identified by the local government that need to be developed. I encourage investors to come," President Joko Widodo stated in Sabang City as quoted by Kompas on Wednesday (11/3).

According to the president, the development of Sabang City is not yet complete, and the government will continue to supervise the targeted programs, so that they can be realized in accordance with the proposed plans. The government is still evaluating the city's needs.

One of the priority infrastructure programs is upgrading the Sabang Port's pier, so that it can meet international standards to improve the city's competitiveness, President Joko Widodo remarked.

Meanwhile, Aceh Governor Zaini Abdullah noted that in the 1970s, foreign ships use to dock at Sabang port. In 1985, the government revoked the status of Sabang as a free port, which significantly affected the area's economy.

In 2003, the Sabang Port authority came under the Sabang Zone Council, which is led by the Aceh governor. As a result, the Sabang Management Board is now responsible for managing the area.

Zaini has urged the central government to assist in the development of an international port in Sabang.

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