Taiwan hopes Indonesia maintains security<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Taiwanese businesspeople expressed hope on
\nThursday the new Indonesian government would bring fresh impetus
\nfor their investment in the country.<\/p>\n
The representative of the Taipei Economic and Trade Office,
\nLin Sui-Chi, said he hoped Indonesia could maintain the security
\nand political stability which followed the election of President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
Chi said security and political stability were necessary
\ningredients for Indonesia to attract foreign investment.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia needs to give comfort to the existing foreign
\ninvestors so they will continue to contribute to the country's
\neconomy,\" Chi said.<\/p>\n
Foreign investment in the country suffered tremendously
\nfollowing violent social upheavals which forced the resignation
\nof president Soeharto in May 1998.<\/p>\n
After Soeharto stepped down, the volatility of the country's
\npolitical situation frightened away foreign investors, who
\nquestioned the security of doing business in the country.<\/p>\n
Chi hoped the new government under Abdurrahman would be able
\nto create a level of security which would encourage business
\nventures.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government must be determined and committed to
\nimproving the country's investment environment, Chi said.<\/p>\n
He said Taiwan's accumulated investment in Indonesia from 1967
\nto Sept. 30 this year stood at US$16.7 billion.<\/p>\n
Chi said he was optimistic the flow of direct investment from
\nTaiwan to Indonesia would pick up in the coming months on the
\nback of the relatively stable political situation in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The pulp and paper, and textile industries account for some
\n$10.6 billion and $1.1 billion of Taiwan's investment in
\nIndonesia, respectively. The remaining $5 billion is spread among
\nthe service, trade, real estate, fishery and plantation
\nindustries.<\/p>\n
Taiwan is the fifth largest investor in Indonesia, following
\nJapan, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
He said the Taiwanese government would fully support the
\ncountry's small garment and electronics businesses which wished
\nto form joint ventures with small Indonesian businesses.<\/p>\n
\"We will endeavor to help small to medium-size Taiwanese and
\nIndonesian businesses come together to build factories in
\nIndonesia,\" he said during a seminar on foreign investment in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
The seminar was organized by the Taiwan Economic and Trade
\nOffice in cooperation with the office of State Minister of
\nInvestment and State Enterprises Development Laksamana Sukardi.<\/p>\n
Laksamana said he was committed to further deregulating
\ninvestment by eliminating policies which hampered foreign
\ninvestment.<\/p>\n
\"Investment policies will be totally reformed so that there
\nwill be no barriers to foreign investors,\" he said during the
\nseminar, which also was attended by Minister of Manpower Bomer
\nPasaribu, Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman and
\nlabor union activist Mukhtar Pakpahan.<\/p>\n
He said the government was not only committed to providing a
\nconducive investment environment, but also to enabling foreign
\ninvestors to appropriately assess business risks in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"Foreign investors are an important part of the Indonesian
\neconomy,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Bomer praised the Taiwanese government's gesture of
\neliminating its quota on Indonesia workers entering Taiwan.<\/p>\n
\"We are glad to hear the Taiwanese government abolished the
\nquota on Indonesian citizens working there,\" Bomer said.<\/p>\n
\"Currently, there are 41,300 Indonesian citizens working in
\nTaiwan,\" he said. (udi)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/taiwan-hopes-indonesia-maintains-security-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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