Hidden promise includes elephants, rhinos and tigers
JAMBI HAS TWO KINDS OF NATURAL RESOURCE, MINERAL AND ANIMAL. THE ENERGY SECTOR IS BEING PROMOTED, AS ARE THE NATIONAL PARK SAFARIS

The start of oil and gas production has raised Jambi’s profile in recent years. This is due, in part, to an American influence: Oklahoma-based firm Devon Energy helped pioneer the province’s oil industry which now pumps about 40,000 barrels a day.
In April 2002, the US firm sold its assets in Jambi – which include estimated reserves of some 80 million barrels of oil – to PetroChina for $262 million in a re-alignment of its overseas exploration portfolio. Though energy production in the province is still small compared to its northern neighbor, Riau, there is evidence to suggest that its potential reserves of hydrocarbons are vast.
Jambi is a place with a great deal of hidden potential. In addition to its energy resources, the province’s main strengths lie in its prime farming territory and the skills of its three million people.
Running through the heart of Jambi is the Batang Hari, the longest river in Sumatra, making it a fertile land with potential for a wide variety of agricultural production. Today, agriculture still dominates the local economy, despite the growth of the manufacturing sector.

ZULKIFLI NURDIN Governor of Jambi Province

The main exports from the province are shrimp, fruit, plywood and pulp, palm oil and processed rubber. According to Jambi’s Governor, Zulkifli Nurdin, the province also offers a favorable location for getting these goods to market. Its primary trading partners are Singapore, Malaysia and other south-east Asian states.
"Jambi province lies in the eastern part of Sumatra island and close to Batam, Singapore and Malaysia," says Mr. Nurdin. "By ferry it is only three hours to Batam and another 40 minutes to Singapore. So I think we have a strong geographical advantage."
The province also has more than 5.2 million acres of forest, and a variety of mineral resources including coal, marble, granite and even gold. There are also all the necessary ingredients available for the long-term production of cement.

The modern provincial capital city is Jambi, which has a population of around 300,000, and lies along the Batang Hari. It is an important tidal harbor with a growing economy based on oil, wood and rubber. Sultan Thaha Syaifuddin airport, just 10 minutes from the city center, is well connected by air with Jakarta and Batam island.
Mr. Nurdin says that the province is still adapting to a more business-friendly routine as it nurtures relations with foreign companies. He takes a personal approach in welcoming potential foreign investors. "As Governor of Jambi, I guarantee the safety of investors who come here and I want to offer them more incentives and privileges," he says.

HOME TO Kerinci Seblat, the biggest national park in Indonesia, visitors to Jambi are offered a sight of rare animals.

"I think like a businessman and I know what is required to make setting up here a straightforward process," he says. “We are streamlining our facilities and have a one-stop shop here for foreign investors."
He feels practices have certainly changed for the better and that service is much improved. "I think it all depends on the people’s mentality," he says. "The previous administration had a different mentality and couldn’t see the importance of attracting investment to the province in order to achieve economic growth and bring prosperity to our people."

Mr. Nurdin says that local policies are beginning to have an effect but that more time is still needed to receive the full benefits. Clearly, the transition from centralized control in Jakarta to the more autonomous approach is helping, although again it is a gradual process.
"Some things are still being run from Jakarta, but we are changing that now here in Jambi," he says.
The infrastructure of Jambi is extensive, considering the difficult terrain in many parts of the province. There is a good network of paved roads and bridges, including the east and central Trans-Sumatran highways which both pass through the province.

There are planned improvements to the various harbors at Muara Sabak and the smaller facilities at Talang Duku and Kuala Tungkal.
Telecommunication services are reliable, while electricity supplies reach most of the province’s villages, which number more than 1,100.
Tourism, of course, is another area with high potential. The isolated Kerinci Seblat National Park is the biggest in Indonesia. It includes a 207 mile stretch of the highlands of Buki Barisan and is spread over Jambi and three other provinces. The administrative center of the park is the small city of Sungai Penuh which belongs to Jambi.

Jambi is also home to two other national parks, Bukit Tigapuluh and Berbak where tourists can spot rare animals such as Sumatran elephants, rhinos and tigers. Along the Batang Hari visitors can watch the animals drinking at the water’s edge while monkeys and gibbons roam the forest canopy. Crocodiles and turtles inhabit the swamps. Tourists are advised to make the five hour trip through the national park by speedboat – fast enough to outdistance any tiger.