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Indonesia eyes Rp 863t investment
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Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) head Thomas Lembong (left) listens to Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita during a BKPM national coordination meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali. (Antara/Nyoman Budhiana)
T
he Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) hopes to attract Rp 863 trillion (US$64.6 billion) in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2018, a 27 percent increase from the 2017 goal of Rp 678.8 trillion amid the global race to be the most attractive investment destination in the world.
“Don’t be discouraged by the target. This should make us work even harder to realize it,” said Azhar Lubis, BKPM deputy for investment monitoring and implementation, during a meeting with regional investment agency leaders from eastern Indonesia on Tuesday.
The proactive steps by regional investment agencies, including those in Area IV of eastern Indonesia, are needed, he added.
For this year alone, the board has set a target of reaping more than Rp 119.3 trillion for the area, a similar amount to that earned last year.
(Read also: BKPM to standardize investment procedures, forms)
Area IV includes provinces like Bali, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, North Maluku, Papua and West Papua.
The leaders should make sure that locals benefit from the investment, including by empowering them to farm enough food to sustain industrial workers, Azhar emphasized.
“Agencies in regions can channel food locally. Don’t ask firms [only] to guide the locals to plant vegetables or for eggs production or even worse, to import from Java or other countries,” he added. (bbn)
