West Java Governor: Do Not Give Space for Thuggery to Disrupt Investment

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has stated that thuggish practices and any form of pressure that could potentially disrupt investment must not be given any space, as they can hinder the pace of investment in the long term.

“Our obligation is to safeguard investment from the licensing process until the industry is established. Then, to maintain investment security,” said Dedi Mulyadi during the groundbreaking ceremony for the LiuGong heavy equipment factory in Karawang Regency, West Java, on Wednesday.

He conveyed that the investment climate must be continuously maintained, especially in the West Java region. Therefore, thuggish practices that could potentially disrupt the investment climate must be avoided.

The government, together with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the National Police (Polri), he said, must ensure that no party exploits investment for personal or group gain through intimidation or coercion.

“There must be no bargaining with individuals or groups who have the capacity to exert pressure just to obtain concessions. That is what is called thuggery. Why? Because it will become a continuous habit. It will certainly be troublesome in the long run,” he said.

The provincial government, together with the Karawang Regency Government, has the responsibility to oversee investment from the licensing stage until the factory is established and fully operational.

In addition to maintaining the investment climate, Dedi also stated that the West Java Provincial Government is currently strengthening support through infrastructure development.

The West Java Provincial Government and the Karawang Regency Government are currently working to address congestion at the West Karawang Toll Gate access by building a new bridge and reorganising the area around the industrial estate to make it more representative.

According to him, the quality of infrastructure is an important part of increasing the competitiveness of industrial areas while providing comfort for investors.

Meanwhile, to support the pace of investment, the West Java Provincial Government is preparing skilled workers through training for high school and vocational school graduates, as well as encouraging technology transfer from investors to local workers, so they do not just remain employees.

“Going forward, we are starting to think that we also become entrepreneurs, become producers so that the Indonesian economy becomes stronger,” he said.