ADB to provide loan for building highway from Penang to Medan

Medan (ANTARA News) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is planning to provide a loan for the construction of infrastructure including a highway from Penang in Malaysia and Songkla in Thailand to Medan in Indonesia to improve the growth triangle cooperation.

"The result of an evaluation by the ADB has contributed a great deal to the development of the Indonesia- Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT)," Arthur M.D. Batubara, an executive of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), said here on Monday.

He made the statement after an audience with North Sumatra Governor Rudolf M Pardede to discuss the meeting between businessmen and farmers on the agricultural and plantation products from Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia to be held in Samosir, North Sumatra in November.

The ADB plan really make the government and businessmen of the three countries enjoy the benefits of the establishment of the IMT-GT.

As to the meeting between the businessmen and farmers of the three countries in Samosir, Arthur said that around 120 delegates from Malaysia and Thailand had expressed readiness to participate in the event.

In the meeting, Arthur hoped the cooperation between the farmers and agriculture/plantation businessmen in Malaysia, Thailand and North Sumatra could become a reality.

"Cooperation in making use of the plantations and agriculture sector in North Sumatra is quite feasible," he said.