"Singapore`s investment in Indonesia in 2010 was recorded at around five billion US dollars. We hope it will increase up to 50 percent," he said after meeting with Singapore`s minister of trade and industry Lim Hng Kiang.
He said investment was one of the issues discussed by the working group in the framework of economic cooperation between the two countries.
The two countries have agreed to focus their cooperation on the fields of infrastructure, connectivity, ports and manufacturing sectors.
"Singapore as an international financial hub is hoped to be able to promote investment opportunities in Indonesia to investors," he said.
The working group that has been set up by the two countries also deals with development in Batam, Bintan and Karimun, air transportation, human resources development and agribusiness.
Hatta said the development in Batam, Bintan and Karimun has shown progress while obstacles such as in licensing, customs and others had been reduced.
"We have agreed to increase the promotion of the region so that it could become an investment destination. This must become a success story," he said.
On air transportation Hatta said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) would issue a connectivity blueprint in the framework of establishing an ASEAN economic community.
He said an agreement has also been reached with regard to improving the skills of the Indonesian human resources in Singapore.
"In the agribusiness Singapore meanwhile will keep increasing supply of vegetables from Indonesia. It is expected to grow 20 percent," he said.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
