Apple Inc planned to invest in Indonesia after Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group which supplies and assembles Apple Inc products intended to relocate its plant in Indonesia.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Apple Inc, a California-based computer hardware corporation, has confirmed a plan to invest US$3 billion in Indonesia this year.

"This year, a number of companies have expressed interest in investing in Indonesia. One of them is Apple Inc," Head of the Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Chatib Basri said at BKPM building in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Apple Inc planned to invest in Indonesia after Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group which supplies and assembles Apple Inc products intended to relocate its plant in Indonesia, he said.

In the first phase, Apple Inc would open stores and online stores in Jakarta, he said.

"But the company has yet to confirm how many stores it will open," he said.

He said the entry of Apple Inc to Indonesia was a special pride now that Apple Inc products such as iBox had so far entered Indonesia via Singapore which is an authorized reseller.

It was not impossible for the company to open its plant in Indonesia in view of its huge market which always searches feverishly for the newest gadget released by Apple Inc., he said.

Deputy for investment control to BKPM head Azhar Lubis shared Chatib`s view saying Apple Inc which has increasingly become popular for its iPhone and iPad would soon set up its distribution center Indonesia.

"At present stores or resellers in Indonesia which sell Apple products must buy them from Singapore so that the prices of the products sold to domestic customers are relatively high," he said.

Azhar said the BKPM approved Apple Inc.`s investment plan last year but added he did not know exactly when the company would realize its investment plan.

Besides Apple Inc, other companies that have confirmed a plan to invest in Indonesia are Lotte of South Korea, Nippon Shokubai of Japan, Middle East Coal (MEC) of Singapore, National Aluminium Company (NALCO) of India, and Huadian Power of China.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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