Provinces in the country's resources-rich East have to come together to narrow the widening gap with the western provinces, officials say.

Participants of the two-day Forum for Provincial Development Planning Agencies said provinces should exchange information on development strategies and focus on addressing poverty, unemployment and weak purchasing power.

Chief of the Gorontalo development planning agency Winarni Monoarfa said the meeting made three recommendations.

"(We need to) synchronize the provincial development programs with the national ones, support ... growth and employment, and strengthen communication strategies," she said after the meeting's opening ceremony.

She said the forum's goal was to improve the capacity of planners, prepare information databases and improve the human development index, especially in education, health and purchasing power.

To address the unemployment problem, the forum called for the promotion of foreign investment in the region.

She said provinces should call on local media to disseminate information on the provinces' economic potential.

Foreign investors have been reluctant to invest in the region because the media has overexposed security threats and conflicts in certain provinces, she said.

Chief of the development planning agency in North Sulawesi Alex J. Wowor said the central government should give special attention to the lesser-developed East, otherwise the gap with western Indonesia would widen.

He said Jakarta should identify factors hindering the East's development.

"All sides must be aware of special characteristics of the East consisting of islands and bordering other countries. The government should pay special attention to spur on development in the region," he said.

He said almost all provinces in eastern Indonesia were rich with natural and maritime resources but their exploitation had yet to improve social welfare.

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