Investors urged to support RI development
CILEGON, West Java (JP): President Soeharto has urged foreign investors to support Indonesia's policies in national development while they are doing businesses in Indonesia.
"We do indeed open our door for foreign investments but we expect them to nurture Indonesia's spirit, orientation and destination in its development," Soeharto said at the inaugural ceremony of the country's first olefin plant in Cilegon, West Java, yesterday.
The olefin plant, established with an investment of US$1.9 billion by PT Chandra Asri Petrochemical Center, a foreign investment company, has been designed to produce ethylene, propylene, polyethylene and pyrolysis gasoline -- basic chemical materials for the production of plastics and textile fibers.
Yesterday's ceremony was attended by First Lady Tien Soeharto, Minister of Industry Tunky Ariwibowo, Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, Minister of Investment/Chairman of Investment Planning Board Sanyoto Sastrowardoyo, the company's president, Prajogo Pangestu, and chief commissioner Bambang Trihatmodjo.
Soeharto said that it is common for every country in the world to welcome foreign investors willing to do business in their country, but they are supposed to understand and support the nation's spirit and idealism.
Talking about Indonesia's industrialization process, Soeharto said that it must be intensified, expanded and continued further, by improving the quality of human resources, capitalizing, to the maximum, natural resources, which are at the country' disposal, and raising technological skills.
"For this purpose, our industry must have a deeper, stronger foundation and a higher technological content, in order to produce goods with greater value-added and that have a strong competitive edge," he said.
When talking about cooperation among small, medium and large scale enterprises, Soeharto said that all national economic players must behave with mutual understanding and in cooperation, to develop prosperity for all.
"Together, large, medium and small companies should become a chain that gains strength, support and benefit from each other," said Soeharto.
After the ceremony, the President and his entourage signed the first bag of polyethylene produced by Chandra Asri. (alx/kod)