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Government to go ahead with revised negative investment list amid protest
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Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto (Antara/Wahyu Putro)
I
ndustry Minister Airlangga Hartarto has said the government would go ahead with its plan to launch a new negative investment list (DNI) policy on Nov. 26, despite protests from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).
Previously, Kadin chairman Rosan P. Roeslani said the government did speak to businesspeople before introducing the new DNI policy. He said Kadin particularly questioned the decision to allow foreign investors to own 100 percent shares in 25 business units in the country.
Airlangga denied that the government had not consulted businesspeople about the policy, which is part of the 16th economic policy package announced by Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution on Monday.
On Thursday, Darmin and Airlangga met with Rosan, who sought an explanation about the policy. Previously, Rosan also called on the government to delay the implementation of the policy, because Kadin would meet with businesspeople to discuss the issue.
“We have disseminated the policy; [they] only want an explanation,” Airlangga said after Thursday’s meeting as quoted by kompas.com.
He did not explain to journalists what was questioned by Kadin during the meeting.
Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) deputy chairman Shinta Widjaja Kamdani also expressed concern about the withdrawal of 54 business units from the negative investment list, saying that it would negatively affect small and medium enterprises.
She said the government had made a unilateral decision.
“The government’s mistake was that it did not communicate with Kadin and Apindo, so that the policy wouldn’t trigger a debate,” Shinta added. (bbn)
