Prabowo guarantees conducive investment climate in Indonesia during Washington address

Jakarta (ANTARA) - 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 would consistently maintain a conducive investment climate.

Speaking at the 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 was evident from stability across various sectors, from the economy to politics, the existence of 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, with a fairly peaceful situation. We also continue our free and active foreign policy, respecting all major powers,” President Prabowo said in 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 by stating that whilst competition is important, what matters most after competing is that all parties continue to work together, collaborate, and compromise with one another.

“This is my belief, and I think history has taught us that a country 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 rule of law and clean governance, as well as maintaining fiscal discipline in managing state finances.

At the same event, the President disclosed 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 aligned 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 achievements of his government 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.