Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has said investment realization in 2010 increased from that in the previous period.

In his press statement at Halim Perdanakusuma airport before leaving for India and Switzerland on Monday, the president said the investment realization aside from oil/gas and banking in 2010 reached Rp208.5 trillion or 25 percent higher than the target set.

"Investment realization value in 2009 was Rp135.1 trillion but it rose by 54 percent or Rp208.5 trillion in 2010," the president said.

The head of state said that the rise in investment realization was part of economic development effort to step up people`s welfare.

"As we know, one of the pillars of development is to continue to increase economic growth for people`s welfare and to step up investment in addition to government spending and the people`s consumption," the president said.

The president on Monday left for India for a two-day working visit from Jan 25-26, 2011 and then on to Switzerland to attend world economic forum until Jan 29.

His Indian visit is intended to step up bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the field of trade and investment.

"On Tuesday I will meet with a number of Indian officials, among others the country`s coalition and opposition leader, then in the afternoon I will attend a business forum with around 500 leading business makers from India and Indonesia," the president said, adding that the 16 MoUs between the government to business, and business to business would be signed then.

According to the head of state, trade relation between Indonesia and India rose significantly in the past five years, because in 2005 the total trade value was US$4 billion but in 2010 it rose to US$12 billion.

"Indonesia is the second largest business partner of India in ASEAN countries," the president said.(*)
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Editor: Jafar M Sidik
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