Jakarta, (ANTARA News) - The Ministry of Agriculture states that the ease of doing business deregulation has increased investment in the agricultural sector by 14.2 percent in 2017.

In the presentation of the four-year performance of Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla at the Ministry of Agriculture, Jakarta, Wednesday, Syukur Iwantoro, the Agriculture Secretary General said agricultural investment in 2017 was recorded at Rp45.9 trillion, an increase of 14.2 percent from 2013 which was only Rp29.3 trillion.

"In 2016 we made an acceleration of investment and assisted prospective investors who wanted to invest in the agricultural sector. The result for 2016 investment in 2017 rose significantly," said Syukur.

Based on data from the Ministry of Agriculture, investment began to appear to increase significantly in 2014 amounting to Rp44.8 trillion, then in 2015 amounting to Rp43 trillion and in 2016 amounting to Rp45.4 trillion.

The Ministry of Agriculture projects the investment value at the end of 2018 to reach Rp61.6 trillion.

Syukur mentioned that one of the significant increases in investment was a number of sugar factories that began operating.

According to him, the opening of investment services has made it easier for investors who want to build a sugar factory.

"This sugar is interesting, investors who are interested are not only domestic investors, but also foreign investors. In 2017 it has been operating, but it is not a new investor, but the one that has been running but is hampered by licensing," he said.

He added that in 2017 there were three sugar factories operating, while in 2018 there were already three sugar factories that had groundbreaking.

During the four years of Jokowi-JK administration, the Ministry of Agriculture has deregulated it by revoking 291 regulations of the Minister of Agriculture (Permentan) or the decision of the Minister of Agriculture (Kepmentan).

Reporting by Mentari Dwi Gayati

Reporter: Andi Abdussalam
Editor: Otniel Tamindael
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