President Urges Removal of Investment Obstacles, Rosan: Unnecessary Technical Approvals Should Be Eliminated

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto has called for the removal of regulatory obstacles that hinder the flow of investments and slow down on-the-ground execution.

This directive was conveyed to the Minister of Investment and Downstreaming/Head of BKPM as well as CEO of Danantara, Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, during a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday (21/4).

According to Rosan, the President’s instructions extend beyond mere investment targets. The head of state stressed that investments must also contribute to creating well-structured, accurate, and high-quality job opportunities.

“Our regulations must not become obstacles. Our rules that hinder progress. Those technical approvals must also, as the President said, be eliminated if they are obstructive,” Rosan stated.

The term “pertek” refers to technical approvals, which are documents or recommendations from ministries and agencies typically required before permits or projects can proceed. In practice, this stage is often criticised by business actors for prolonging the investment process.

This message comes as first-quarter 2026 investment realisation reached Rp498.79 trillion, or 100.36% of the Rp497 trillion target. This achievement represents a 7.22% increase compared to the same period last year. Job absorption also hit 706,569 people, marking an annual growth of 18.93%.

Rosan said the government has been urged to compare Indonesian regulations with those in ASEAN countries and OECD standards, which serve as benchmarks for advanced economies’ policies. Therefore, the government is encouraged to accelerate the investment process by cutting rules deemed to delay permitting.

He cited investment potential from Japan approaching US$30 billion, while from South Korea it exceeds US$10 billion. China, Rosan added, continues to show strong investment interest.