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| Southeast Asia |
| Soros keen to invest in Aceh. |
| 2007-09-15 |
| Amid increasing demand in the biofuel production sector, one of IndonesiaÂ’s best performing export industries, comes news that billionaire fund manager George Soros is apparently keen to buy 20,000 hectares of oil palm plantation in the province of Aceh. The Governor of Aceh, Irwandi Yusuf, met Soros in New York recently and said on 12th September: Soros said that he was interested in developing an oil palm plantation of about 20,000 hectares at first. This kind of investment could provide a living for about 2,500 families in Aceh. The former rebel leader of separtist movement GAM cum Governor however didnÂ’t know the value of such an investment or the likely time frame, but promised that his administration would work hard to help Soros get things moving. Both sides will immediately get to work on ensuring that the investment comes off. Irwandi said SorosÂ’ interest in investing in Aceh was proof of the provinceÂ’s appeal to foreign investors: WeÂ’ve got lots of land, thereÂ’s a lot of potential, above all in palm oil plantations. The problem is we donÂ’t have the funds to develop it properly. Jews Not all ordinary people in Aceh are happy with IrwandiÂ’s attempts to win investment from America. One person, Agam Putra, asks: Why doesnÂ’t he go to a Muslim country like Iran, why to a Jewish place, itÂ’s like the people of Aceh are going to be Judaised. One Zuriani Usman says: We really support Mr Irwandi trying to find investors but why does he have to go to a Jewish country, I think there are a lot of Muslim countries which want to invest in Aceh. Foreigners Meanwhile on 14th September national Agriculture minister Anton Apriyantono said that hopefully by the end of the year regulations would be in place limiting the extent to which foreign investors could own or control land for palm oil plantations. He said he didnÂ’t know what the limits would be but that the purpose was to prevent the formation of trade monopolies. |
| Posted by:Classer |
| #5 No, lotp. It means that the cut is only delayed. Of course, the time frame depends on the Acehans' ability to recognize that hey are being mightily screwed. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2007-09-15 20:48 |
| #4 Does it count if you're a jew who hates jews? |
| Posted by: lotp 2007-09-15 20:39 |
| #3 49 Pan, yea, Aceh and Soros deserve each other. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2007-09-15 20:36 |
| #2 Let him have Aceh! They will not only cut his head off but after they will have a cookout with his remains!!! |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2007-09-15 19:50 |
| #1 Nobody in their right mind will touch Soros with a 10 foot pole. His agents have already been thrown out of half a dozen countries for trying to subvert the government or take power behind the scenes. Soros just wants to rule a country, is that too much to ask? |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-09-15 12:00 |