Sudan Invites Indonesian Investment In Cement, Oil

KHARTOUM, Sep 12, 2003 (AsiaPulse) — The Sudanese government has invited Indonesian entrepreneurs to invest in cement and oil industry, Indonesian Vice President Hamzah Haz said.

“They want us to invest in the cement industry here,” Haz said after a talk with Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir and Industry Minister Jalal Yusuf Al-Diqair here, Thursday.

During his visit to an oil refinery in that country, Sudanese Energy and Mineral Minister, Awad Ahmed Al-Jaz has also invited Indonesian businessmen to invest in the oil sector.

According to Awad, the quality of Sudanese crude oil is similar with that produced in Indonesia.

Currently, Sudan is running four oil fields, and it still has some potential fields.

“I hope that Indonesia could immediately work on a cooperation in the oil industry (with Sudan),” Hamzah added.

The Vice President on a nine-day tour of Sudan, Oman, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

The Indonesian delegation will later go on hajj pilgrimage.

Hamzah said the visit to Sudan is aimed to increase bilateral ties.

Sudan, he continued, has a rapid economic growth rate and during the past three years it has recorded seven per cent economic growth rate.

Oil has contributed some 70 per cent to the country’s revenues.

Earlier, Hamzah has called on Sudanese businessmen to invest in Indonesia. To date, there are only four Sudanese investors in Indonesia.

Furthermore, the vice president expressed hope to Indonesian businessmen to increase trade with Sudan and not only with big countries.

“It is time for us to see small countries,” Haz said.

Sudan has grown from a poor to a developing country.

Its economy has grown rapidly since the country exported crude oil in 1999.

Bilateral trade between Indonesia and Sudan has reached only US$100 million annually.