Jakarta. BP Batam, the city’s development agency, recently began working on model houses for people affected by the development projects in Rempang.

The construction of the four model houses will take approximately two and a half months. BP Batam will then work on 961 other units afterwards, according to the development agency’s head Muhammad Rudi.

“This [groundbreaking] is part of the Rempang Eco-City development, and we have now entered the construction of model houses. I ask everyone to help accelerate the investments coming to Rempang,” Rudi said at the groundbreaking ceremony in Tanjung Banon on Wednesday.

Rudi, who also serves as Batam's mayor, said that BP Batam had prepared a port that met national standards. They also plan on building a national-standard football field. He added: “We already have the site plan. We will also build public and social facilities.”

According to Rudi, the Rempang island is expected to be a new engine to drive Indonesia’s economy. Its development is expected to spur the local communities’ economy. “The government’s goal is one: that is to drive Rempang Island’s economy. The Forkopimda [the regional government forum] in Riau Island and Batam have agreed to work together for investments in Rempang,” Rudi said.