French slow to exploit business opportunities<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): French investors acknowledged yesterday that
\nthey lag behind in business opportunities in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
A deputy director of the confederation of French industrial
\nand service companies (CNPF), Jean Dromer, said here yesterday
\nthat French investors are mostly unaware of the huge business
\nopportunities in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"I think this is the main reason why the size of French
\ninvestments in Indonesia is still smaller than those of Germany
\nand Britain,\" he told journalists.<\/p>\n
He said that Indonesia's foreign investment policy is very
\nencouraging to foreign investors, particularly after the
\ngovernment launched its deregulation measures in May last year.<\/p>\n
He saw no significant problems either in licensing procedures
\nor in the taxation system in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Dromer was one of approximately 250 French businessmen
\nattending a two-day seminar on investment opportunities
\nyesterday. The seminar participants also included Paul-Henri
\nDenieuil, chairman of the French national committee for foreign
\ntrade.<\/p>\n
Dromer said the trend of French overseas investments is
\nchanging, with many French companies now turning to Asian
\ncountries for their future expansion.<\/p>\n
He said that the presence of the 250 French executives in the
\nseminar reflected the change in the French investors' perception
\nabout doing businesses in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The value of French investments in Indonesia totals
\napproximately US$1.2 billion at present, excluding about $1
\nbillion in the oil industry and another $200 million in the
\nbanking industry. France, the world's fourth largest investor,
\nranked the 14th in the lineup of foreign investors in Indonesia,
\nbehind Britain and Germany.<\/p>\n
Too low<\/p>\n
Jean-Michel Severyns, the residential director of GEC Alsthom
\nin Indonesia, said that French investments in Indonesia are, in
\nfact, too low given the large size of its total investments in
\nthe world.<\/p>\n
He said, however, that French direct investments in Indonesia
\nwould likely grow more rapidly in the coming years as a result of
\nthe positive change in the mentality of French investors.<\/p>\n
\"The trend is changing and we want to speed it up,\" he said
\nabout the growing interest of French businessmen in investing in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
CNPF executives, the sponsors of the seminar, were scheduled
\nto visit senior government officials, including Coordinating
\nMinister for Industry and Trade Hartarto and Coordinating
\nMinister for Economy and Finance Saleh Afiff, during their
\nIndonesian visit.<\/p>\n
Dromer said the CNPF representatives would not raise any
\nparticular topics during the meeting. \"We just want to express
\nour intention to benefit the business opportunities in
\nIndonesia,\" he said.(hen)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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