JAKARTA, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Foreign direct investment in Indonesia jumped 61 percent to 6.39 trillion rupiah ($536 million) in January from a year ago, the state investment agency said on Tuesday, despite the global economic downturn.<\/p>\n
Muhammad Lutfi, investment board chairman, said that the energy, infrastructure, agri-business and agriculture sectors are the main areas expected to attract foreign investment this year.<\/p>\n
Domestic investment rose by a third to 760 billion rupiah in January from a year ago, with total investment up 58 percent to 7.15 trillion rupiah.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, which holds parliamentary and presidential elections this year, has tried to make its investment climate more attractive, but analysts have warned that the country, which is a major exporter of commodities such as palm oil and rubber, could see a slowdown on the back of a slide in commodity prices.<\/p>\n
Investment in Indonesia rose 15.5 percent to $17 billion in 2008, below the target of around $20 billion rupiah, reflecting the worsening global economic conditions.<\/p>\n
The government has announced a fiscal stimulus package, including spending on infrastructure and other projects in order to boost growth and create more jobs.<\/p>\n
It has forecast economic growth of 4-5 percent in 2009, down from 6.1 percent in 2008. ($ 1 = 11,930 rupiah) (Reporting by Sonya Angraini; Writing by Andreas Ismar; Editing by Sara Webb)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-investment-agency-says-fdi-jumps-61-pct-in-jan-1235519313", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }