The President said in Jakarta on Tuesday that the task forces would begin operation before the government establishes the online single submission system for business licenses to ensure that the new licensing system can be implemented effectively.

"We will create an online single submission system for business licenses. But we have to establish the task forces first both in central and regional governments to ensure we are speaking in the same language," he said at a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace, which was also attended by regional heads.

Jokowi has on several occasions expressed his disappointment that regional governments and ministries had not been able to accelerate business permit issuance, while the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) has managed to issue licenses in only three hours for six business sectors.

"In the last two years, the BKPM has managed to issue licenses in only three hours. Such a service should not only stop at the BKPM. There are still license issuance problems in ministries and in the regions. We want to solve them," he said.

Jokowi added foreign direct investment in Indonesia had increased by 13.2 percent year-on-year in 2017, but it was far behind Malaysia, the Philippines and India, which increased by 51 percent,  38 percent and 30 percent respectively. (bbn)

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