Prabowo Assures US Chamber of Commerce That Indonesia's Investment Climate Remains Conducive
President Prabowo Subianto assured American business leaders affiliated with the US Chamber of Commerce (USCC), the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), and the US-Indonesia Society (USINDO) that the Indonesian government will consistently maintain a conducive investment climate.
Speaking at a Business Summit held at the US Chamber of Commerce building in Washington DC on Wednesday afternoon local time, President Prabowo explained that this conducive climate is reflected in stability across various sectors — from the economy to politics — along with the rule of law as a top government priority, and a commitment to eradicating corruption and cartels.
“No one will invest in a situation or climate that is uncertain, unstable, or even chaotic. We are fortunate that Indonesia has been quite stable over a long period and the situation is fairly peaceful. We also continue our independent and active foreign policy, respecting all major powers,” President Prabowo said during his summit address.
In the same speech, President Prabowo went on to share his guiding principle in the form of a proverb: “A thousand friends are too few, one enemy is too many.” For the President, this principle applies not only to his “good neighbour policy” in foreign affairs but also to domestic politics.
Prabowo continued that whilst competition is important, what matters most afterwards is that all parties continue to cooperate, collaborate, and compromise with one another.
“This is my belief, and I think history has taught us that a nation at Indonesia’s level of development must prioritise compromise, cooperation, and collaboration among elites in our country. Competition must exist, but collaboration and cooperation for the benefit of the greater number of people must take precedence,” the President said, explaining his strategy for maintaining domestic stability.
Beyond this, President Prabowo also stressed the importance of upholding the rule of law, maintaining clean governance, and exercising fiscal discipline in managing state finances.
During the same occasion, the President revealed that foreign investment entering Indonesia last year reached US$53 billion.
“In my view, this reflects concrete confidence in our economy given its current size, its growth potential, and the political stability that aligns with our current policies,” Prabowo said.
Before the American business audience, President Prabowo then introduced the Danantara Investment Management Agency as Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund, outlined investment opportunities that could be explored by business leaders, and highlighted the government’s achievements over the past year, including the Free Nutritious Meals programme and the digitalisation of the education sector through the distribution of interactive flat panels to schools.