Foreign Investors Expecting Safe Elections

Sumber :

VIVAnews - Some foreign investors are hoping that the 2009 Elections in Indonesia will be going safely because the elections can affect investment climate.

"The elections should be going well because it will be good for foreign and domestic investors," said James Castle, Castle Asia's chairman, during a press conference after having a dialog with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta on Tuesday, March 24.

Castle, along with 33 other foreign entrepreneurs, met the President for more than two hours. The 33 foreign entrepreneurs included, among others, Peter Meyer (president of AIU Asuransi Indonesia/AIG), Terry Mcphail (president of Exxon Mobil Oil Indonesia), Steve Green (managing director of Chevron), Urai Rogers (president director of Dow Chemical Indonesia), Stuart Duan (president and chief representative of GE), and Hans Peter Haesslein (president director of Siemens Indonesia).

The domestic entrepreneurs were represented by six entrepreneurs from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (Kadin). Those who were present were Anindya N. Bakrie of IT and media telecommunication sector, Wisnu Dardhana of non-bank monetary agency (LKNB) and capital market sector, Sandiago S Uno of the micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (UMKM) and cooperation, Franky O. Widjaja as the deputy chairperson for agriculture, food, and forestry of Kadin, and John A. Prasetio of international economic cooperation sector.

In addition to expecting the elections to run smoothly, the investors are still complaining about the permit as well as Indonesia's bureaucracy system. Both issues were considered as obstacles for the investors to invest in Indonesia.

Therefore, the government is determined to keep amending and reforming the bureaucracy system which has become an obstacle for the investors. "We are committed to reform it," said the Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu after assisting the President.

The President in the opening dialog suggested that the elections should not disrupt the economy which is still affected by the global crisis. President Yudhoyono stated that the celebration to democracy is needed for healing the business climate.

"The government will ensure a conducive situation in the entrepreneur and business world," said the President. Thus, the President asked the investors for not hesitating in investing in Indonesia in the middle of the crisis and elections. The government is still trying to fix the investment climate.

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Translated by: Ariyantri E. Tarman