Organized by the Indonesia Investment Promotion Centre (IIPC) working together with the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in London, and supported by the Central Bank of Indonesia, Bank Mandiri and BNI Bank, potential investors were invited to explore infrastructural investment opportunities in Indonesia, which the government has now opened to the private sector.

The Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas, Bambang Permadi Soemantri Brodjonegoro, says the Indonesian government is offering the UK and Ireland opportunities to invest in the 10 New Balis initiative as there are still many untapped opportunities, especially in infrastructure and services.

The government continues to encourage investment in tourism in its drive to make the industry the country's largest foreign exchange earner by 2019. According to Bambang foreign exchange earnings still rely heavily on the export of palm oil, coal, and other commodities.  "We have not maximized the potential of tourism yet," he said.

Bambang went on to outline Indonesia's considerable potential as the fifth largest emerging market in the world and the fact that the country was at the top of the list for EU investment objectives in Southeast Asia from 2007-2017. During this period, there were 266 EU projects in Indonesia with an investment value of USD 13.25 trillion.  

Indonesia's current investor base is still centered in Asia. According to data from the Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Singapore was the largest investor in Indonesia to the tune of USD 8.4 billion, followed by Japan with USD 5 billion, China with USD 3.4 billion, Hong Kong with USD 2.1 billion, and South Korea with USD 2 billion.

The two-day Indonesia Investment Promotion Center event concluded with one-on-one meetings between representatives of the Indonesian Government, Indonesian SOEs and potential foreign investors, giving participants the opportunity to promote cooperative dialogue between various stakeholders interested in investing in Indonesia and promoting infrastructure development across the country.

This article was previously published on Gapura Bali.

Sources: Antara, The Indonesian Embassy UK, Valid News, BKPM

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