"I invite you first as business players in Indonesia who certainly wish to serve your own country in an exemplary way by investing in areas you yourselves choose and think are the best for you," the president said at the meeting with the Association of Prosperous Hakka Indonesians (PHIS) at Hall D of the Jakarta Exhibition Arena here on Wednesday.
He said foreign investors were expected to come to Indonesia in larger numbers in the days ahead but before that happened he wished to offer existing investment opportunities to domestic business players first.
President Yudhoyono asked around 5,000 invitees who attended the gathering not to miss the momentum to create various new opportunities.
Through economic mechanisms, he said, businesses could also help improve the welfare of the Indonesian people by reducing poverty and unemployment.
"Do not wait. To those who can invest, mobilize businesses, let us cooperate to invest, develop the economy so that all people can enjoy the benefits," he said.
PHIS`s chief patron Murdaya Poo in his speech called on the Hakka Chinese community numbering around six million to invest in the country.
"Hakka community as economic players, please hurry, use your savings to invest in Indonesia. Do not worry about the imperfect regulations or bureaucrats," he said.
President Yudhoyono in the company of First Lady Ani Yudhoyono said Hakka Chinese had the same rights and obligations as other Indonesian citizens.
Therefore, he called on them to participate in maintaining security and order as well as political and social stability for the sake of a better life for the nation. (*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
