The BKPM will facilitate and ensure that Singapore`s investment can be realized."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) will focus on attracting Singaporean investment in the maritime, infrastructure, and manufacturing sectors.
"The BKPM will cooperate with the Singaporean governments agencies related to investment and foreign trade to encourage Singapores investment in these sectors," BKPM Head Franky Sibarani stated here on Wednesday.
"We agreed to encourage Singapores investment in the maritime, infrastructure, and manufacturing sectors. The three sectors are the key focus of the government in order to encourage development in Indonesias economy, which is based on production," he noted.
Sibarani pointed out that the BKPM held a discussion with Singapores agency head in charge of investment and foreign trade to follow up on business cooperation during President Joko Widodos visit.
Besides Japan, South Korea, China, and Taiwan, Singapore has become an investment marketing destination for the BKPM.
Singapore was also the largest investing country in Indonesia.
Based on data, during the period between 2010 and the first half of 2015, Singapore invested a total of US$28.35 billion in the transportation, telecommunications, warehousing, manufacturing, food processing, plantations, electronics, mining, gas, electricity, and water sectors in Indonesia.
He noted that Singapores investment can be further increased as its investment ratio throughout the period between 2005 and 2014 hovered in the range of 61 to 67 percent.
Investment from Singapore worth US$50.2 billion during the 2010-2015 period is yet to be realized.
"The BKPM will facilitate and ensure that Singapores investment can be realized," he affirmed.
Earlier, President Widodo had invited Singaporean businessmen to invest in Batam, Bintan, and the surrounding regions.
The president conveyed the invitation following his arrival in Singapore, on Tuesday, during his first state visit to the nation.
The Indonesian government will solve the prevailing problems in the free trade zones in Batam, Bintan, and Karimun.
"As soon as the problems are solved, we will once again invite as many investors from Singapore as possible to invest in Batam, Bintan, and the surrounding regions," he stated.
The president acknowledged being aware of several prevailing problems concerning regulations and regional authorities that could hinder investment in Indonesia.
Therefore, he plans to establish a special office to handle the problems in Bintan and Karimun.
"Second, I agree that Singapore and Indonesia can establish cooperation in (tourism) promotion by formulating a joint destination package," he remarked.
The president hoped that the cooperation to promote tourism would increase the number of tourists visiting Singapore and Indonesia.
(Uu.A063/INE/KR-BSR/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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