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)