In 2003, West Java's GRDP of US$ 27.26 billion contributed around 14-15 percent to the national GDP, the highest shares for any individual province.  However, because of the relatively large population, West Java's per capita GDP - US$644.24 with, and US$ 726.16 without oil and gas - represented 82.4% and 86.1% of the national averages respectively.  The growth of the provincial economy in real terms in 2003, which was 4.21 percent overall and a higher 4.91 percent for non oil and gas, was better than that for Indonesia as a whole.

The Province of West Java has resources which have not been optimally exploited, such as in the sectors of agriculture, maritime and fishery, human resources, energy, and tourism industry.  West Java, is a supported area and a buffer area of the development of the capital city.  Resource potential of this province which are developed can be seen is the following :

Irresistible Destination : String of Emerald

West Java is part of the string of Emeralds wrapped across the equator.  West Java offers world class resorts overlook dazzling white beaches with warm tropical seas (Pangandaran and Pelabuhan Ratu), luxurious close to nature holiday retreats, started from a hot spring Ciater to numbers of exclusive Spa nestle in lush tropical gardens.  The province is a irresistible tourism destination.  By 2003, the trade, tourism and services sectors contribute 24.7 percent to West Java Gross Domestic Product.

As the traditional homeland of the Sundanese people which are very warm and welcoming to tourist.  Like most of Indonesia, West Java  is a region characterized by stark contrasts, including its landscape.  These endowed richness is a strong magnitude for investment in tourism industry sector.

    * A complete range of study has been developed to further develop the existing Ciater Hot Spring Resort to a World Class Resort.  Located within the serenity of mountainous West Java, just an hour drive from Bandung, the West Java Capital City.  The Resort is one of the most popular "correct address" for retreats and relaxing out of urban business hectic and pressure.
    * The Jatiluhur tourism resort, located between Capital City of Jakarta (2 hours drive) and Bandung, the Capital city of West Java Province (1 hour drive), blessed with the beautiful scenery surrounding Jatiluhur's dam.  The 83 sq km water reservoir area, the unique and gigantic structure of Jatiluhur Dam presents a 'glory morning' view which is very potential to be developed.  Today, as a tourism destination, the area remains to attract a passive tourism attraction, for picnics and water sport recreation facilities.
    * Thanks ti the textiles industries in the region, West Java is Indonesia's prime region garment and fashion industry.  Most of  them locate their industry close to Bandung.  The presence of textile industry provide promote  and foster the development of Indonesian fashion industry that at the same time position West Java as one of the "second to none" garment and fashion shopping destination for domestic and international tourists.

Manufacturing

West Java province has a high concentration of manufacturing industries, including consumer electronic, leather, food processing, textile industries, furniture an aircraft.  Geothermal, oil and gas and petrochemical industries are also the mainstay of West Java province.

The greatest contribution to the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) of the West Java Province was made by manufacturing sectors, hotels and trade and agriculture with 65.92 % share of the total GRDP. In the 2003, the GRDP of West Java reached US$ 27.26 billions which the greatest contribution was made by manufacturing sector (36.72%), agriculture (14.45%). Despite the recent crisis, the province remains the center of the country's modern textile and garment manufacturing industry (in contrast to other province, which are the centers for traditional textiles).  The country's aircraft industry, forming a growing center of aeronautical engineering excellence, is based in Bandung.

Other modern industries are located in the province, such as pharmaceutical, automobile, semi-conductors and other electronics, cable manufacturing, consumer appliances and, more recently, petrochemical.  Supported by growing range of services, West Java's widely diversified non oil and gas manufacturing sector contributes nearly a quarter of Indonesia's total non oil and gas output.

The main export commodities of the West Java Province are textile and textile product with 53.63% of export total value of West Java amounting to US$ 1,56 billion.  Other export products are steel iron, foot-ware, furniture/rattan products, electronics, aircraft components and others.

Agriculture : Land and Water

Despite losing agricultural land to road systems and large-scale industrial and urban development, West Java remains on of the great agricultural areas of Indonesia.  As one of the nation's rice bowls', nearly 23% of the province's 29.3 thousand sq. km. was given over to the production of rice.  A further 32 percent was taken up with smallholder crops and estates and large plantations, with forests and woodlands accounting for 22 percent.

West Java is unquestionably a major power house of the Indonesian economy.  Oil and gas is drilled both on and offshore, while the agricultural output of the province accounts for some 15 percent of Indonesia's total, supplying both consumer and manufacturing industries in Indonesia.  Food crops include rice, sweet potato, corn and fruits and vegetables, while commodities include tea, coconuts, palm oil, natural rubber, sugarcane, cocoa and coffee.  Livestock farming covers a range of domesticated animals and poultry, with the province's 120,000 head of dairy cattle accounting for around 34 percent of the national total.  This output has helped the growth of major agro-business activities, especially food processing.

Maritime and Fishery

West Java is faced on two sides by almost 1,000 km coast line-the Java sea to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south, providing the province with substantial fisheries potential.  An integrated plan to further develop the current Cirebon Port as an ocean going unloading port as well as a loading port is now undergoing.  The aim is to improve Cirebon port to handle and serve container shipping of industrial product from and to West Java, while at the same time will ease the burden on Jakarta's Tanjung Priok harbor.  There are a loading for export commodity and also a loading commodity from island to island.  It mean that in Cirebon port, many ships will come to do the loading an unloading activity and many businessmen will use the Cirebon port facility, including for fishery industry.

Inland water comprises not only a number of naturally endowed rivers, but also the huge man-made reservoirs at Saguling, Cirata and Jatiluhur Dams that, besides providing hydro-generated electrical power, provide water for agricultural irrigation, main water supply as well as fresh water fishery industrial bases.

Human Resources : Population and Manpower

With a population of nearly 36 million in 2001, West Java accounted for over 16 percent of Indonesia's total population.  Urbanization in the province has been rapid, with 43 percent of the population classified as urban in 1995 compared to 21 percent in 1980. Much of this increase is accounted for by the JABOTABEK (Greater Jakarta) area, with the remainder of the province still heavily rural.

West Java has a well educated workforce of nearly 15.7 million (2001), a little over 18 percent of the nation's total.  Agriculture, forestry and fishing account for 31 percent of those in employment, with industrial processing and manufacturing accounting for 17 percent, trade, hotels and restaurants accounting for 22.5 percent, and other services accounting for 29 percent, with the remainder engaged in the mining sectors.

Minerals-Oil and Geothermal

Oil is found offshore to the northwest of the province in the Java Sea, while significant deposit of geothermal exist in many part of West Java.  Limestone, andesite, marble and clay are among the minerals mined or extracted on land.  Gold is also mined, with reserves at the Pangkor mine operated by state mining company PT. Aneka Tambang estimated at 5.5 million tons of ore and yielding around 12.1 grams of gold per ton.  Other minerals believes to exist in large quantities but not yet fully evaluated include coal, phosphate, quartz sand, obsidian, betonies and basalt.

West Java's 2007 Trade, Tourism and Investment Promotion

		Schedule Of Domestic Events
1		Inacraft 2007		April 18 - 22
2		Batam - Indonesia Act (Art, Craft & Tourism Expo)		April
3		The 7th Batam Expo 2007		May 2 - 6
4		Agro & Food Expo		May 10 - 13
5		Mojopahit travel Fair 2007		May 30 - June 5
6		Jawa Barat travel Exchange (Jtx)		June 7 - 10
7		Soropadan Agro Iii 2007		June 13 - 18
8		Pekan Raya Jakarta (Prj)		June 14 - July 15
9		Pameraya Surabaya Fair		June 28 - July 01
10		Pameran Multi Produk Bersertifikat Halal		July 06 - 01
11		Hari Krida Pertanian Jawa Barat		July 19 - 21
12		Indonesia Agri Business 2007 Expo		July 19 - 22
13		Sme'sco (Small And Medium Enterprises And Cooperatives)		July
14		Cooperative Fair 2007		July
15		Festival Ikan Hias		July
16		Promosi Taman Hutan Raya (Tahura) Ir. H. Djuanda		July
17		Jivest'07 (Jakarta Investment Expo 2007)		August
18		Gelar Teknologi Pameran Jakarta Sea Food		August
19		Gelar Klaster Industri Dan Perdagangan 2007		August
20		Jawa Barat Expo 2007		August
21		Pameran & Pesta Patok		August
22		Festival Teh 2007		August - September
23		Promosi Kemilau Nusantara		September 8 - 9
24		Batam Expo 2007		September 20 - 25
25		Pasar Wisata Indonesia (Pwi)		September 25 - 28
26		11th Bali - Nusa Dua Festival		September
27		Bengawan Solo Fair 2007		September
28		Pameran Pembangunan Di Banten		September
29		Pata travel Mart Di Bali		September
30		Pameran Produk Ekspor (Ppe)		October 22 - 26
31		Yogyakarta Expo 2007		October
32		Jakarta Agriforestry Expo (Jakarta Expo)		November
33		Pameran Geologi Nasional 2007		November
34		Pameran Produk Kukm Perempuan (Gender)		November
35		Pameran Sumber Daya Mineral 2007		Tentative
36		Hari Pangan Se Dunia (Hps) 2007 Tingkat Regional		Tentative
37		Pameran Produk Aneka Usaha Kehutanan		Tentative

		Schedule Of Events Overseas
1		Promosi Seni Budaya Dan Pariwisata Jabar Di Asia Pasific		March 15 - 18
2		Decorex Cape / Decorex Jhb		April 26 - 29
3		Arabian travel Market		May 1 - 4
4		Mihas 2007 (Malaysia International Halal Showcase)		May 9 - 13
5		The 12th China International Exhibition		May 10 - 13
6		Promosi Seni Budaya Dan Pariwisata Jabar - Eropa Barat		May 17 - 28
7		Misi Dagang Agro Wilayah Timur Tengah		August
8		International Furniture Fair		September 24 - 29
9		International Leather Goods Fair Offenbach		September 27 - 30
10		The 4th China - Asean Expo 2007		October - November
11		Saitex (South African Import Weeks)		October
12		The 17th Middle East International		November1 - 5
13		World O-cha (Tea) Festival 2007, Shizuoka, Japan		November 1 - 4
14		Gelar Potensi Industri Di Wilayah Eropa		November

Source : http://westjavainvest.com