Portugal interested to build fishermen`s settlement in Pangkalpinang

Pangkalpinang (ANTARA News) - A Portuguese investor, Aunda, is interested to deal with a fishermen`s settlement project which will raise 400 houses for 400 families in Selindung, Pangkalpinang city, Bangka-Belitung province, a mayor has said.

"The expected fishermen`s settlement will be completed with fishery product processing facilities like an ice bloc factory and shops to make the area lively," Pangkalpinang Mayor H Zulkarnain Karim said here Monday.

The presentation on the fishermen`s settlement project has been made to a number of investors from different countries since 2006 but only Aunda (Aliga) from Portugal consistently expressed interest to invest in the project.

Aunda expressed agreement on the project in March 2007 to the Pangkalpinang city administration. On June 19, Aunda followed up on the agreement by observing the location where the fishermen`s settlement would be raised.

The project is expected to start this year.

At the initial stage, Aunda would only sink capital in the fishermen`s settlement project whose land would be provided by the city administration, and the Portuguese investor would likely extend the business by building a seaport in support of an integrated area project (Waterfront City) in Pasir Padi area.

Aunda had also successfully built such a project in Southeast Sulawesi province and thus Pangkalpinang would follow suit in an effort to improve local people`s welfare, Zulkarnain said.