Surabaya – The East Java Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin East Java) continues to strengthen interprovincial collaboration to drive regional investment and trade growth. One of these efforts was realized through an audience meeting with Economic and Investment Consultant for North Kolaka Regency from “Tenggara Strategics,” Amran Silalahi, held at the Kadin East Java Secretariat Office in Surabaya, East Java, on Friday (08/05/2026).

Vice Chairman for Interprovincial Business Network Affairs of Kadin East Java, Diar Kusuma Putra, stated that regional economic development requires synergy between the government, the business sector, and various supporting stakeholders.

According to him, Kadin East Java together with the East Java Provincial Government has actively conducted interprovincial visits over the past five years through the concept of trade missions, including to Southeast Sulawesi Province.

“Regional economic development cannot be carried out by the government alone without the support of the business community and assistance from various stakeholders. Kadin and the East Java Provincial Government have been conducting interprovincial visits for the past five years, including to Southeast Sulawesi, through the trade mission concept,” said Diar.

Diar considered the initiative of the North Kolaka Regency Government to open investment communication channels as a strategic move. He emphasized that the government plays an important role as a facilitator in providing certainty and convenience for business actors and investors.

“The government cannot work alone. The business sector faces major challenges with varying targets, requiring concrete support, particularly in terms of regulatory ease and investment licensing,” he said.

Meanwhile, Vice Chairman for Oil and Gas Affairs of Kadin East Java, Tri Prakoso, highlighted the importance of preparing supporting data when regional governments offer investment opportunities to prospective investors.

According to him, investors require a comprehensive overview of the actual regional conditions, ranging from distribution routes, logistics infrastructure, workforce availability, to the facilities that will be provided by the regional government.

“When offering investment opportunities, detailed data regarding distribution, logistics infrastructure, actual regional conditions, workforce availability, and facilities that can be provided to investors must be prepared,” he explained.

On the other hand, Economic and Investment Consultant for North Kolaka Regency from “Tenggara Strategics,” Amran Silalahi, said the visit served as a learning opportunity as well as a means to strengthen collaboration with Kadin East Java, which is regarded as highly experienced as a national trade hub, particularly for Eastern Indonesia.

“From today’s discussion, we learned a great deal from our colleagues at Kadin East Java. Potential and collaboration indeed need to continue being encouraged and supported, both by regional governments and business actors,” said Amran.

Amran explained that one of the sectors to be offered to investors is agribusiness downstreaming. So far, North Kolaka’s leading commodities such as cocoa, coconut, cloves, palm sugar, and candlenut have largely been marketed as raw materials without further processing.

“North Kolaka has enormous agricultural and plantation potential. So far, these commodities have mostly been sold in raw form to Makassar and Surabaya. Through downstreaming, we aim to create greater added value for the community and the regional government,” he explained.

Furthermore, Head of the Industry Office of North Kolaka Regency, Andi Khaerul Rijal, considered the investment forum an important momentum for the region, as it marked the first investment promotion activity conducted outside Southeast Sulawesi.

“This is an important momentum for the regency government. Perhaps this is the first time a regency in Southeast Sulawesi has carried out such an initiative outside its own region,” said Andi.

According to him, the forum serves as a strategic gateway to introduce the region’s potential while attracting both domestic and foreign investment.

Andi added that investment in North Kolaka is currently still dominated by the mining sector, while the agribusiness sector has yet to attract significant investor attention. Therefore, the regional government is now focusing on promoting agribusiness, particularly coconut and cocoa commodities, which are among the region’s leading products.

Regarding regional readiness, Andi ensured that the North Kolaka Regency Government is fully prepared to provide comprehensive support for investors, ranging from licensing processes to assistance at the central government level.

“The regency government is ready to roll out the red carpet for investors interested in investing in North Kolaka. Assistance will not only be provided at the regency level, but also up to the central government,” he concluded.