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Sri Mulyani says terrorist attacks 'will not affect investment'
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani has expressed her confidence that the recent terrorist attacks will not deter investors from investing in the country as the law enforcers have started to seriously deal with the issue.
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This handout photo released by the Presidential Palace on Sunday shows President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo (second right) with officials at the Surabaya Pentecostal Church (GPPS). The President visited the sites of the attacks and victims at hospitals following the church bombings on Sunday morning in Surabaya, East Java,. (AFP/Presidential Palace)
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inance Minister Sri Mulyani has expressed confidence that the recent bombings on churches in Surabaya will not deter investors from investing in the country as the law enforcers have started to seriously deal with the issue.
“We hope that law enforcement will restore perception and trust in Indonesia,” said Sri Mulyani over the weekend in Jakarta as reported tribunnews.com
Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) economist Bima Yudhistira made a similar comment, saying that the sooner law enforcement officers could arrest the suspects, the better it would be for the investment climate.
Read also: Stay calm, vigilant, Jokowi tells public
Suicide bombers attacked three churches in Surabaya on Sunday, killing 14 people and wounding at least 41 others. The attacks occurred days after the riot and prison siege at the National Police's Mobile Brigade headquarters (Mako Brimob) detention center in Depok, West Java last week, in which five police officers and one detainee were killed.
“But if the incident is not handled properly by law enforcement, it may affect negatively [on investor confidence],” Bima said in Jakarta on Sunday as reported by kompas.com.
Bima added that security was one of the key considerations among investors, but that the fatal Mako Brimob riot had insignificant impact, with the rupiah even strengthening to Rp 13,900 against US dollar from Rp 14,000 earlier last week.
“It means that investors might be taking [the incident] into consideration, but they are taking the global economy into greater consideration, particularly the United States’ economic policy,” said Bima, adding that investors would also be watching Bank Indonesia’s decision on its reference rate. (bbn)
