Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu has urged foreign investors to invest in Indonesia now or risk \u201cmissing the boat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking at a forum held by the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club on Wednesday, Mari said international investors should take advantage of the country\u2019s growth prospects while they still can.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf investors are not investing now, they\u2019ll miss the boat,\u201d Mari said, pointing out that Indonesia has one of the fastest-growing emerging economies in the world.<\/p>\n
Indonesia\u2019s economy expanded 4.5 percent last year, one of the strongest growth rates in the world, at a time when most economies contracted because of the global financial crisis.<\/p>\n
The government last week projected the economy to grow by as much as 6 percent this year, up from a previous forecast of 5.5 percent, as a result of strong domestic consumption and a faster-than-expected recovery in exports.<\/p>\n
Solid economic growth, coupled with stable macroeconomic and political conditions, has put the country back on the global investment radar.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, international rating agencies have raised the country\u2019s sovereign credit ratings and global funds have bought local financial assets, sending the value of the rupiah to a 33-month high and the main stock index to a record high in the past two weeks.<\/p>\n
Mari said the government was striving to implement reforms that will help create a better climate for investment and business activities. She pointed to the example of the government\u2019s logistics blueprint for the development of roads, ports and transportation facilities.<\/p>\n
Mari said the planned visit of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao on April 23-24 was expected to further boost China\u2019s investment in the country.<\/p>\n
She said Chinese investors have expressed particular interest in the country\u2019s infrastructure and tourism sectors.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/invest-in-indonesia-now-or-miss-the-boat-mari-says-1271299158", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }