Palembang,(ANTARA Sumsel) - The Indonesian province of South Sumatra is rich in natural resources but several of them have not been managed optimally, according to Governor Alex Noerdin.

"South Sumatra is rich in coal, gas, and geothermal resources, but they have not been managed optimally," Governor Noerdin remarked at the Sumatra Regional Investors Forum here on Tuesday.

Noerdin said the province`s tourism sector also has high potential that investors need to tap.

The governor expressed hope that through the Sumatra Regional Investors Forum, the number of investors planning to invest in the province will increase.

"This forum is expected to boost the people`s economy in this province," the governor stated.

In the meantime, Capital Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Chief Franky Sibarani affirmed that the government needed to change its paradigm from being a license provider to becoming an investment provider.

Sibarani said the BKPM had also expressed hope that the forum will encourage investors in Sumatra, taking into account the area`s huge potential, both in the manufacturing and tourism sectors.