PORTALJABAR, GARUT REGENCY - The Regent of Garut, Abdusy Syakur Amin, received a courtesy visit from the Governor of the Riau Islands (Kepri), Ansar Ahmad, and his entourage at the Sabda Alam Hotel & Resort, Jalan Cipanas Baru, Tarogong Kaler District, Garut Regency, Friday (12/6/2026).

This meeting is an important momentum for the Garut Regency Government to adopt the development acceleration strategy of one of the best provinces in Indonesia.

In his remarks, the Regent of Garut expressed his deep appreciation for the presence of the Governor of the Riau Islands. He stated that Garut Regency currently faces significant challenges in improving the Human Development Index (HDI). Therefore, Garut is considered worthy of emulating the example of the Riau Islands, which has successfully ranked third nationally in terms of HDI achievement thanks to its massive development acceleration.

The Regent compared the geographical conditions of the two regions, where Kepri, which has thousands of islands, is able to manage its territory very optimally, while Garut Regency only has two islands.

"Well, this is a challenge for all of us. At the very least, we can gain insight into how we should prepare everything from now on, so we can accelerate development in Garut Regency," said Abdusy Syakur Amin.

Meanwhile, Riau Islands Governor Ansar Ahmad expressed his delight at the opportunity to visit and interact directly with the people of Garut Regency. This visit also served as a reciprocal gesture for the Garut Regent's recent visit to Batam.

Addressing the national economic situation, Ansar explained that many regions are currently facing fiscal dynamics or regional budget turbulence. Responding to the Minister of Home Affairs' directive, he emphasized that regional governments are required to continue innovating, one way being through interregional collaboration.

"So perhaps this is a concrete manifestation of it. Although we may only be in the initial stages of exploration, from the results of the discussions earlier, I see that we have a significant opportunity for collaboration," explained Ansar Ahmad.

The Governor of the Riau Islands specifically praised the potential of Garut Regency. He stated that Garut boasts a comprehensive range of supporting resources, from stunning natural beauty, a thriving resort industry, to a vibrant creative economy.

"Well, this is an opportunity for us to build cooperation, one of which is building tourism linkages with the Riau Islands," he added.

He hopes that this good intention will lead to the welfare of the people on both sides, so that the community can directly enjoy the positive impacts of the growth of tourism and other strategic sectors.

"So, no one region is superior to another. We learn from each other and complement each other to create an economic ecosystem like this," concluded the Riau Islands Governor. (Garut Communications and Information Service/rka)