BKPM now under Ministry of Industry and Trade

BKPM now under Ministry of Industry and Trade

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Industry and Trade Luhut Pandjaitan
said on Tuesday that his office would be in charge of the
Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) following the abolishment of
the office of the state minister of investment and state
enterprises development.

"BKPM will be under the coordination of the ministry, but it
will remain a separate agency," Luhut announced at a media
conference.

He added that the decision was awaiting a presidential decree.

BKPM's position within the government became unclear following
the latest Cabinet reshuffle in August, which dissolved the
office of the state minister of investment.

While Coordinating Minister for the Economy Rizal Ramli
quickly resumed the responsibility of developing state
enterprises, BKPM's position was left in the dark.

Ministry secretary-general Muchtar said the government was
revising positions of several nonministerial agencies or boards.

"At the moment a presidential decree on the structure of
organizations is being worked out, or revised, after the Cabinet
reshuffle," Muchtar said.

He fell short of explaining when a decree would be issued,
saying that it should be as soon as possible.

He said that in the future only a few agencies or boards would
be placed directly in the President's charge.

The government, he said, considered joining investment affairs
with his office because their development was closely related.

"It is expected that in the future, efforts to raise
investment will be in line with the development of our
industries," he explained.

He added that no one at his ministry would be in charge of
handling investment and that BKPM would remain independent as a
board.

Muchtar said the government also planned to place the National
Standardization Agency (BSN) under his ministry's coordination.
(bkm)