Gov’t Must Boost Investment to Provide Jobs, Generate Revenues: President Jokowi

President Jokowi officially opens the National Investment Coordination Meeting, Thursday (12/07), Jakarta. (Photo by: PR/Agung

The Government must boost investment to provide added values, provide job opportunities, and generate revenue for the country, according to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

“Many people ask me, what does investment provide besides job opportunities? State revenues,” President Jokowi said in his remarks during the opening of the National Investment Coordination Meeting in Jakarta, Thursday (12/07).

To optimize the impact of investment, the Government, the President added, also encouraged partnerships between investors and national and regional entrepreneurs and expressed hope that related stakeholders could pay special attention to investment in export products and industrial downstreaming.

“Why industrial downstreaming? Because it provides high added value. We noted that in 2017 our nickel exports were at US$3.3 billion and once we started to industrial downstreaming it, our export value reached US$33.8 billion last year,” he added.

President Jokowi also said all countries currently are encouraging environmentally friendly and sustainable investment and ordered relevant ministries to seize the opportunities in green and blue economy since the environmentally unfriendly products will be rejected in several countries in the future.

“A lot of investors are pursuing geothermal, solar panels, power plants, and hydropower. These are very promising future investments,” he said.

In addition, the Head of State also ordered regional heads—especially outside Java Island—to encourage investment in their regions.

“It is also the Government’s job to prepare the infrastructure for the regions outside Java Island that also needs it,” he remarked. (FID/UN) (GWH/EP)