JABAR EKSPRES – West Nusa Tenggara Governor Zulkieflimansyah said the implementation of the Motocross Grand Prix (MXGP) in Samota Sumbawa and Selaparang, Lombok is a driver of economic growth in the region.
“If you come and see Samota last year with Samota today it is different. In the past, Samota was empty and there was no activity. But now it’s busy every day. There is growth there after Samota 10K and MXGP there,” he said when giving a press statement on the Bank NTB Syariah 10K and MXGP activities in Mataram, Friday (6/9).
He said the Bank NTB Syariah 10K event as a series of MXGP Samota activities was not just a sporting event or motocross, but also a driver of economic growth and investment in NTB.
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This investment, he said, can be seen by the construction of residential areas, both on the left and right sides of the area in Samota.
“Housing is busy being built there is nothing left. Because of what, there is certainty of ‘events’ (programs) activities every year and many MSMEs also appear,” he said.
He said that Samota has long been included in the national strategic area. It’s just that it hasn’t been able to develop because there are no activities. However, with the MXGP and the Bank NTB Syariah 10K run as an effort to revive it.
“In the past, the Samota circuit land belonged to the community, but now it has become Sumbawa Regional Government land, covering an area of 70 to 100 hectares. We are optimistic that Samota will slowly continue to develop and investment will begin to enter,” said Zulkieflimansyah.
Likewise now in Selaparang, he said, the stigma of land in the former Selaparang Airport which has an area of 68 hectares is “idle” after not being used as an airport. However, even though MXGP Selaparang has not yet started, many MSMEs have grown and made traders happy.
