BISNIS.COM, GARUT – The Garut Regency Government has acknowledged that its community's income levels remain the lowest in West Java.

The region's low Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) per capita reflects weak local economic productivity, driven primarily by limited productive investment entering the area.

Garut Regent Abdusy Syakur Amin stated that Garut Regency's GRDP per capita currently stands at approximately IDR 26 million per year.

This figure lags significantly behind West Java's provincial average of IDR 59 million and the national average of IDR 79 million annually. “Our GRDP is the lowest in West Java. This means the income of Garut residents is extremely low,” Syakur noted on Wednesday (Aug 26, 2026).

According to Syakur, the economic gap between Garut and other regions in West Java is overly wide, demanding collective efforts to accelerate local growth. He emphasized that this disparity stems from insufficient investment driving community productivity. “We have human resources and skills. But without tools and capital, how can we progress?” he remarked.

He highlighted the agriculture sector as a primary pillar of Garut's economy. Skilled farmers, he noted, still struggle to boost output without access to capital, high-yield seeds, quality fertilizers, and modern equipment.

Consequently, the Garut Regency Government positions investment as a core instrument to enhance public productivity and elevate regional income. Syakur identified three key growth drivers for Garut's GRDP: investment, government spending, and household consumption. Investment, however, is deemed the most decisive factor for generating new economic activities, creating jobs, and adding value to local production.

“Without investment, Garut cannot escape structural poverty. We need investors willing to inject capital into industry, agriculture, and MSMEs,” he stated.

Alongside attracting capital, the local government aims to direct public spending to yield direct economic impacts through job creation, local empowerment, and workforce upskilling. Concurrently, boosting household consumption and purchasing power remains a priority to stimulate the local economy.

The Garut Regency Government committed to improving the investment climate by streamlining licensing and facilitating business operations. Syakur pointed out that Garut holds strong foundational assets, including available land, a large labor force, and untapped agricultural and manufacturing potential.

“We have vast land, an abundant workforce, and a strategic location. But without investment, none of these hold value. We stand ready to simplify permits and facilitate incoming investments,” he concluded.

[Source]